Canada: Indian-origin truck driver who caused deadly bus crash ordered to be deported
Canada: An Indian-origin truck driver responsible for a devastating bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in Canada has been ordered to be deported, according to reports. The Immigration and Refugee Board announced the decision for Jaskirat Singh Sidhu during a hearing in Calgary.
Sidhu's lawyer, Michael Greene, stated that the decision was inevitable, as the requirements for deportation were simply proof that Sidhu is not a Canadian citizen and that he committed a serious crime. Reports indicate that Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, originally from India, holds permanent resident status in Canada.
Sidhu was granted parole after serving part of his eight-year sentence for dangerous driving in a 2018 bus crash in Saskatchewan, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people and injuries to 13 others. His lawyer noted that numerous legal processes remain, and the deportation could take months or even years.
Earlier in December, the Federal Court dismissed applications from Sidhu's lawyer, who argued that border officials failed to consider Sidhu's previously clean criminal record and his remorse. The lawyer had sought a court order for the border agency to conduct a second review.
Before the hearing on Friday, Greene said, "This is part of the sadness of the whole process. We're left with a situation where permanent residents have no rights whatsoever to have their personal circumstances considered," reports stated.
Sidhu's lawyer added, "Our only mechanism is [that] after he's ordered deported, we're going to ask them to give back his [permanent resident] status [based] on humanitarian grounds. He said, "But in the meantime, he has no status."
Michael Greene said Sidhu will not be taken into custody immediately after the hearing is over. He stated that a pre-removal risk assessment has to be carried out and Sidhu can request a deferral while his request for permanent resident status is considered.
He noted that the process could take months or years. Several family members of those killed in the bus crash said they want the deportation of Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the report said.
As per the reports, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, a newly married permanent resident from India, barrelled through a stop sign at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Saskatchewan in 2018, and drove into the path of the bus carrying the junior hockey team to a playoff game.
- With inputs from agencies
