TORONTO: A 51-year-old man from Punjab, visiting Canada on a six-month tourist visa, has been convicted of criminally harassing two teenage girls outside a high school in Sarnia, Ontario. Jagjit Singh, who arrived in July to meet his newborn grandchild, is now set to be deported and barred from re-entering Canada following the court’s ruling.
According to police, Singh began frequenting the designated smoking area outside a local high school shortly after his arrival. Between September 8 and 11, he repeatedly approached teenage girls, attempted to take photos with them, and made inappropriate comments about drugs and alcohol. Officers said the behaviour escalated to harassment and unwanted physical proximity.
Canadian media reports said one teenager initially refused to take a photo with Singh but agreed after he persisted, hoping he would leave her alone. Instead, Singh allegedly moved into her personal space and attempted to put his arm around her. Feeling uncomfortable, she pushed his hands away and later reported the incident to authorities.
Police noted that Singh, who is not fluent in English, continued to follow female students as they left school property. He was arrested on September 16 and charged with sexual interference and sexual assault. He was granted bail but was rearrested shortly after when another complaint from the same date surfaced. He again received bail, though he was required to stay an extra night in custody due to the lack of an interpreter.
On September 19, Singh appeared in a Sarnia courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty to sexual interference but admitted guilt to the lesser charge of criminal harassment. The presiding judge, Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski, condemned the conduct, observing that Singh had “no business attending at the property of that high school.”
“This type of conduct will not be tolerated, ” the judge remarked while delivering the decision.
Singh’s lawyer informed the court that he had already booked a return flight to India for December 30. However, the judge ordered deportation proceedings and imposed a ban on Singh’s future entry into Canada.