South Asian ringleader of Toronto airport gold robbery
jailed for 4 years & must repay $22 million
The ringleader of what police called the largest gold heist in Canadian history has been sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to repay $22 million to cashhandling services company Brinks. Ontario Court Justice Shannon McPherson delivered the sentence, which includes a restitution order that will last 40 years, in a Brampton courthouse yesterday. Arsalan Chaudhary, known as the mastermind of the heist, entered a guilty plea last month. His lawyer had pushed for the fouryear sentence, while the Crown had argued he should serve seven. Chaudhary’s sentence will have 174 days deducted for time served.
In the 2023 gold heist at Pearson International Airport, Chaudhary and the others involved left the airport with 6,600 gold bars worth $22 million, as well as $2.5 million in cash. Continued on Page 4...
‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha jailed for supplying drugs that killed Perry
Los Angeles-based Jasveen Sangha, a woman of Punjabi origin from Moga dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” by US prosecutors, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on April 8 for supplying ketamine that led to the death of famous sitcom “Friends” star Matthew Perry. The popular American sitcom was aired from 1994 to 2004.
As per media reports, US District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the maximum sentence sought by prosecutors in a Los Angeles courtroom, along with three years of supervised release.
Continued on Page 2...
India advances in second stage of its nuclear programme
New Delhi: In a significant boost to India's nuclear program Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the nation is moving ahead to achieve its second stage of its civil nuclear programme.
“Today, India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme,” PM Modi said, adding that the “indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at
Kalpakkam has attained criticality.” “This advanced reactor, capable of producing more fuel than it consumes, reflects the depth of our scientific capability and the strength of our engineering enterprise.
It is a decisive step towards harnessing our vast thorium reserves in the third stage of the programme,” he added, laying out the significance behind this landmark moment.
Continued on Page 4...
Once seen as a social conservative, floorcrosser Marilyn Gladu clarified some of her previous positions from the sidelines of the Liberal convention Thursday, saying she's pro-choice and anti conversion therapy.
"I have been consistent when I said that women need to have the right to choose. I obviously have my long faith traditions, but I'm ready to support the rights of women in this country," said Gladu, donning a red sweater matching the Liberal decor of the room. "I will vote with the government. I will protect the rights and freedoms of women to choose, for people to be who they are and love who they love," she said.
Gladu's record opposing strongly-held Liberal values dominated questions to Carney, MPs, convention attendees and Gladu herself. Continued on Page 3...
The deportation of a Bishnoi extortion gang member was put off on Thursday after federal officials could not find the suspect.
Just minutes into Abjeet Kingra’s deportation hearing, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) said it had lost track of the Indian citizen. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which is attempting to deport Kingra, also said it no longer knew his whereabouts.
Continued on Page 3...
Arsalan Chaudhary
Wildfire burning ‘out of control’ in B.C.’s Thompson-Okanagan region
An early-season wildfire in B.C.’s ThompsonOkanagan region has spread to an estimated 550 hectares. The Quilchena Creek blaze was discovered southeast of Merritt on Wednesday, prompting a joint response from the B.C. Wildfire Service and the Lower Nicola Indian Band.
The BCWS website classified the fire as “held” as of Thursday morning, but it has nearly quadrupled in size since—and been reclassified as “out of control.”
In a brief online update, the BCWS said the growth is “not attributed to fire behaviour or suppression actions by firefighters.”
It’s unclear what sparked the fire, but officials
said the suspected cause is human activity.
Since the province’s 2026 wildfire season began on April 1, there have been more than a dozen fires recorded across the province.
Most of those are no longer burning, but five are classified as “under control.”
3 months after the draw, $80M Ontario lotto winners have stepped forward
It's been over three months since the winning ticket for a record-setting $80-million Lotto Max draw was sold in London, Ont., and the massive jackpot is now in the process of being claimed.
Tony Bitonti, a spokesperson for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), said two people have claimed the prize and their names will be released in an official announcement once the verification process is completed.
The draw for what the OLG is calling the largest-ever win in Ontario was Dec. 30. It ties the $80 million awarded last year by the B.C. Lottery Corp., which said it was the biggest jackpot ever won in the province as well as the largest individual win in Canada.
Bitonti said he doesn't know the names of the two Ontario claimants, their relationship to each other or the exact location where the ticket was sold. It was purchased at a store, not on the OLG mobile app, he added.
"We have to make sure that they are the legitimate owners of that ticket and we're anticipating paying out that big prize shortly."
While many winners of such a massive prize wouldn't delay to cash it in, Bitonti said, it's common for some people to take some time before claiming the loot.
"On these bigger prizes, anything from $50 [million] to $80 million, we always see that they do take some time to think about the enormity of what's happening to them and to get their affairs in order."
He said winners often want time to consult family members and financial advisors, and maybe even speak with a lawyer before forever changing their lives by claiming jackpots.
"We've seen this time and time again over the years. They do have up to one year from the draw date to claim that prize. We say check your ticket right away but to come to the prize centre as prepared as possible."
Sitting on a such a large unclaimed prize often leads to some complex emotions, Bitonti said. Winners can verify a winning ticket by taking it to a retail location, but many feel reluctant to do that.
BC lawyer who failed to respond to 9 separate investigations deemed ‘ungovernable,’ disbarred
A Surrey lawyer who was subject to nine concurrent administrative suspensions for failing to respond to correspondence from the provincial regulator has been deemed “ungovernable” and disbarred.
Through counsel, Rohita Pannu told a hearing panel of the Law Society of B.C. that her failure to respond to the latest citation was a result of a mental health condition, which the citation itself had exacerbated.
She asked the panel to adjourn the hearing, but it declined to do so, noting that the hearing had already been adjourned by consent five times, and that continuing to delay proceedings could adversely affect public confidence in the law society.
correspondence.
Pannu’s record, according to the decision, included “practice standards recommendations; two failures to pay costs; three practice supervision agreements; two undertakings; and nine administrative suspensions.”
The first of the suspensions was imposed in November 2023, and Pannu remained suspended
ICBC/Personal Injury
Immigration
The panel also found that Pannu had not proven that her mental health prevented her from responding to correspondence, noting that it had concluded she was well enough to work in February 2025.
“In the panel’s view, a lawyer who is well enough to work would be well enough to participate in the disciplinary process,” the panel’s decision reads.
“Doing so is a requirement for all members.”
The 49-page document goes into relatively little detail about the underlying allegations of misconduct that prompted the nine investigations to which Pannu failed to respond.
Rather, it focuses on her lengthy disciplinary history and pattern of ignoring the regulator’s
from then until her disbarment, racking up four additional suspensions in November 2023, two more in December of that year, and two more in 2024.
All of the suspensions were for failure to respond to law society correspondence.
“The respondent has demonstrated a consistent pattern of inability or unwillingness to comply with regulatory requirements,” the decision notes, summarizing the panel’s reasons for declaring her ungovernable.
In addition to ordering Pannu’s disbarment, the panel ordered her to pay $6,156 in costs to the law society within 30 days.
‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen jailed for supplying drugs that killed Perry
Continued from Page 1...
Jasveen (42) had pleaded guilty in September 2025 to five federal charges, including distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
As per the reports, Jasveen, who lived in North Hollywood, California, admitted to supplying dozens of vials of ketamine to Perry in the weeks before his October 2023 overdose death at his Pacific Palisades home. Prosecutors described her as a major dealer who targeted wealthy clients in the entertainment industry.
Born in London to Indian parents Nilem Singh and Baljeet Singh Chhokar, Jasveen comes from an affluent Punjabi family. Her grandparents built a successful fashion retail business in East London. Following her mother’s remarriage, the family moved to the upscale suburb of Calabasas, California, where she grew up. She holds dual USUK citizenship.
During the sentencing hearing, Jasveen expressed remorse, telling the court she wore her “shame like a jacket” and that her actions were “horrible decisions” that “shattered people’s lives”.
Vaisakhi parade, World Cup trophy visit among events to check out in Vancouver this weekend
Tens of thousands are expected to line the streets of South Vancouver this Saturday for the Khalsa Diwan Society’s annual Vaisakhi parade, but that’s just the largest of a variety of exciting events happening in and around the city this weekend.
The 2026 Nagar Kirtan will follow a new route, avoiding Marine Drive in favour of a circuit of 57th Avenue, Main Street, 49th Avenue and Fraser Street, and still beginning and ending at the Ross Street gurdwara.
The FIFA World Cup trophy is in Vancouver this weekend and will be on display in Square, the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Friday and Saturday.
The trophy will be on display from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, according to organizers.
A two-day celebration of Japanese culture will take place at VanDusen Botanical Garden in
Deportation
Vancouver this Saturday and Sunday.
Part of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, the Sakura Days Japan Fair features Japanese food and drink, cultural performances, vendors and more, all under the pink and white of the garden’s cherry blossoms.
Another festival of cherry blossoms and Japanese culture will take place Sunday at Steveston’s Garry Point Park.
The Fall/Winter 26 edition of Vancouver Fashion Week began Wednesday and continues through Sunday, with nightly shows at David Lam Hall, part of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver on East Pender Street.
The fifth edition of Food Truck Wars will take place this weekend at the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds in Surrey. Visitors can sample food from 40 B.C. food trucks and vote for their favourite offerings, all while perusing a “shop local market” and taking in live entertainment.
hearing for Indian extortion suspect halted when officials can’t find him
Continued from Page 1...
“Without knowing where he is, there’s not much else we can do,” Azeem Lalji, the IRB member overseeing the case, said before shutting down the hearing.
The B.C. court, however, confirmed to Global News that Kingra remained in custody, awaiting trial for a shooting and arson at a Surrey home.
The Bishnoi gang is an India-based crime group behind a wave of extortion violence targeting Canadian cities with large South Asian populations.
It is a listed terrorist group in Canada, which
blames it for murders, shootings and arsons targeting prominent South Asian community members, businesses and cultural figures.
Kingra is one of the first Bishnoi members to face a deportation hearing amid a crackdown against extortion in B.C., Alberta and Ontario.
But as the case was set to begin on Thursday morning, he was not present. The IRB said it thought he was detained at the Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, B.C.
When the jail staff did not bring him to his virtual hearing, the IRB said it had just learned that he had been moved but did not his new location.
4th Tory defection to Liberals brings Carney to cusp of Majority
Continued from Page 1...
Particularly her comments around abortion, vaccine skepticism, support for the trucker convoy, opposing cannabis legalization and opposition to a bill banning conversion therapy.
In 2020, she told CTV News she was "personally pro-life" but supported access to abortion services.
During her brief bid for the Conservative leadership in 2020, she said she would allow caucus members to bring forward private member's bills to restrict abortion, adding she doesn't think they would find broad support.
She also originally opposed a Liberal bill to ban conversion therapy, the discredited practice that aims to change an individual's sexual orientation to heterosexual. She later issued a statement saying she "vehemently" opposes conversion
therapy and supports the LGBTQ+ community.
"The first bill that came out had freedom of expression issues. Once they fixed that, it was the party I was with at the time that passed unanimous consent motion to see that passed," she said. Gladu defended her move, saying it's what her Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong constituents want.
"Even my strong Conservative supporters are saying to me, 'look, you know, we like you, you've worked hard, but we really need to have that support, we need affordable housing,'" she said.
The president of the Sarnia—Lambton— Bkejwanong Conservative Party Riding Association and the Sarnia mayor are calling on her to run in a byelection.
“There’s no change in the Liberal party’s values, let’s be clear on that,” he said in French.
(778)654-9226 | Email: info@NaiyaGillLaw.ca
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India advances in second stage of its nuclear programme
Continued from Page 1...
India's 3-Stage Nuclear Programme
In order to optimally utilise limited uranium reserves and large thorium reserves in the country, the Department of Atomic Energy has adopted a three-stage nuclear power programme. This is based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle, for generation of nuclear power and for achieving long term energy security. The three-stage nuclear power programme aims to multiply the domestically available fissile resources through the use of natural Uranium in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (first stage), followed by use of Plutonium obtained from the spent fuel of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors in Fast Breeder Reactors, in the second stage. Large scale use of Thorium will subsequently follow making use of Uranium- 233 that will be bred in Fast Breeder Reactors, when adequate nuclear installed capacity in the country has been built. Accordingly, the utilisation of Thorium as a practically inexhaustible energy source has been contemplated during the third stage of the Indian
South Asian
nuclear programme, which can be reached in future.
The first stage of nuclear power programme comprising indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) is in industrial domain. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) under the
ringleader of Toronto airport gold robbery jailed for 4 years & must repay $22 million
Continued from Page 1...
“I find that Mr. Chaudhary was one of the organizers of the theft. He communicated with Air Canada employees to identify the shipment carrying the gold. Together with others, he arranged for a driver to collect and transport it,” McPherson read in her sentencing decision, according to the Toronto Sun. “Mr. Chaudhary travelled to the location where the gold was taken after the theft and then took possession of some of it. Mr. Chaudhary assisted in making the arrangements to have the gold melted down by a jeweller to disguise its origin and facilitated its sale.”
second stage is being commissioned by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
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Sask. Judge says woman should be able to order Starbucks in her own language
A Court of King's Bench judge has ordered the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission to take a second look at a complaint it originally dismissed.
The complaint against the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) was filed by a Filipino woman who was a customer at a Starbucks kiosk at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.
She tried to speak to an employee, who was also Filipino, in Tagalog. According to the court ruling by Justice Shawn Smith, the employee said they were not allowed to speak Tagalog and would be formally reprimanded if they didn't speak English.
The kiosk was run by the SHA. It has since closed.
The human rights commission dismissed the woman's complaint without investigating. She followed up with the commission, providing more information and further arguing her case.
"She argued that not being permitted service in Tagalog constituted an adverse impact on her and that this impact was intentional, or at least indirect, discrimination against the Filipino community in particular," the court ruling says. She then applied for a judicial review, leading to the decision issued by the court last month.
The ruling does not examine whether the complaint itself is valid. It focuses on whether it was reasonable for the commission to dismiss the complaint without investigation. Smith found it was not.
In denying the claim, the human rights commission focused on whether language is always inextricably linked to culture. It cited cases that found it was not, and could be considered simply a tool for communication.
Smith wrote that the commission's decision did not contain "the necessary legal analysis," but that this point alone would not make the dismissal unreasonable, if it was the complainant's only argument.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his entourage billed you for half a million dollars on airplane food in one year.
Loyal readers of the Taxpayer Waste Watch will remember our story about Carney spending more money on airplane food than former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Well, we have some new numbers for you. And they’re bad…
Carney and his entourage spent $524,100 on airplane food in one year, according to government documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. That’s more than an average Canadian family will spend on groceries in 30 years.
Carney and his entourage billed taxpayers $159,000 for airplane food during a week-long trip to Athens, Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and the Canary Islands. Carney also billed you $94,000 on airplane food during a trip to Italy in 2025. That’s more than double what Trudeau spent on airplane food during his trip to Italy the year before.
Even when Trudeau spent $220,000 on airplane food during a trip to the Indo-Pacific, the cost worked out to $4,200 per hour. That’s still less than Carney spent on his trip to Italy.
Carney spent $21,158 on airplane food during a three-hour roundtrip to Washington D.C. That’s $7,000 per hour on airplane food.
Carney and crew also spent $60,000 on airplane food during a visit to Paris and London, and $50,000 during a trip to Belgium and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, other politicians and bureaucrats are proving it is possible to spend less while travelling abroad. Former defence minister Bill Blair took an international trip last year. Blair’s delegation spent just $2,350 on airplane food during the entire 12day trip.
The government’s chief of defence staff went to Washington, D.C., with members of the Canadian Armed Forces last March. They billed taxpayers zero dollars for airplane food, according to government records.
Alberta leads Canada in job growth—here’s
what’s
driving the province’s success
Alberta has led the country in job growth in recent years. From 2022 to 2025, employment increased nearly 10 percent, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), more than any other large province and well above the national average of 6.5 percent. With growth outpacing the rest of the country, it’s worth taking a closer look at what’s driving it and how Alberta’s labour market is changing. In addition to the overall pace of growth, strong gains in private sector employment set Alberta apart. No other province saw more private sector job growth than Alberta over that period—a difference that is especially stark relative to provinces like B.C., Quebec, and Saskatchewan, where an expanding public service masked broader labour market weakness.
But determining which industries are driving job gains is trickier. The LFS depends on a relatively small sample of households, meaning swings across industries can reflect real changes or just survey noise. More worrisome, even topline LFS estimates may be overstated, for both Alberta and Canada, given challenges in estimating population growth. This is where payroll employment data helps. Rather than relying on a household survey, the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) draws primarily on employers’ payroll records. While it excludes the self-employed, it covers the vast majority of employees and provides a more precise, stable picture of employment by industry.
According to SEPH, job growth in Alberta, and across Canada, was not nearly as strong as the LFS suggests, especially in provinces with faster population growth. Even so, Alberta was the clear leader. From 2022 to 2025, payroll employment grew 7 percent in Alberta compared with 4 percent nationally. But where does Alberta stand out relative to the rest of Canada?
The short answer is almost everywhere. Alberta saw faster employment growth than the national average in 14 of the 18 categories we assessed. That broad strength reflects rapid population growth. Since 2022, Alberta’s population has increased by around 11 percent, or over half a million people, making it the fastest-growing province in the country. As the population has expanded, so too has demand for housing, financial services, entertainment, and the workers needed to support them. Still, a few areas are especially notable. These are the industries that both added a large number of jobs and saw the strongest growth relative to the national average.
Health care is one of the clearest examples. Employment in the sector increased by about 15 percent from 2022 to 2025, well above the national average of 9 percent, with gains across hospitals, nursing and residential care, and outpatient services such as clinics, testing centres, and home care.
It may also be an unexpected contributor to Alberta’s strong private sector job growth. While often viewed as part of the public sector, many health services are publicly funded but privately delivered. The LFS, which distinguishes between public and private employment, suggests a large share of Alberta’s recent health care gains fall into this category.
BC orders West Vancouver to allow density in Ambleside area
After West Vancouver didn’t meet its provincially legislated housing targets, the B.C. government was prompted to act and “ordered” the District to allow more housing to be built.
In a press release published on April 7, B.C. said the District had “delivered only 58 of its 220 netnew units” of its year-one target, as well as missed its Dec. 31, 2025, deadline to implement three provincial housing directives to allow for greater housing density. Mark Sager, the Mayor of West Vancouver, disagreed with this framing.
“I think their press release is kind of a bit of a spin on what really happened,” he said in an interview with Daily Hive.
“Because, really, the Minister recognized the work that West Van has done to address the housing needs in West Van.”
Through the Housing Supply Act, the Province is overriding City Council to implement the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan, which rezones to allow for three-to-four storey buildings to front Marine Drive and Bellevue Avenue, fiveto-six storey buildings on 16th Street, and 14-16 storey buildings on 17th Street.
target, and so the Province appointed an advisor to help the District in early 2025.
The advisor conducted a two-month review of the municipality and identified recommendations. The Province then issued the three directives for West Vancouver, giving the District until Dec. 31, 2025, to meet them.
Alongside the Ambleside plan, the directives were to increase density at Park Royal and the Ambleside apartment area. The District is now required to share “progress reports” every three
Sager said this order is only for the business component of the Ambleside plan, as council had already passed it for the apartment area.
West Vancouver’s council had gotten stuck on a three-three vote, he explained. As a property owner in the area, he couldn’t vote.
“And so essentially, the Ministry just cast a deciding vote between a split Council,” he said.
While Sager admitted that “it’s an unusual step for the provincial government to make an order like this,” he said it is in a “very limited area” of the community.
B.C. said that West Vancouver “failed to make satisfactory progress” to its year one housing
months with the Province.
West Vancouver was among the first batch of municipalities to which the Province legislated housing target orders in 2023. These targets are for completion and move-in ready homes, not municipal approvals.
West Vancouver’s target was 1,432, with 854 of them studio or one-bedrooms, 256 twobedrooms, and 321 three-bedrooms, to be completed by September 2028.
When asked why West Vancouver missed its year one targets, Sager said that nobody is building homes right now, and there are a lot of units for sale.
An identity
thief stole
someone's life across two provinces — here's how to make sure you're not next
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are seeking assistance to identify a woman who is a suspect in a cross-Canada identity fraud case.
On November 27, 2025, OPP officers received a report of an individual having their identity defrauded, CTV News reported (1). The investigators on the case allege that the victim’s personal information was used to create a fake identification card. Police allege that this fake ID was used at a bank in New Tecumseth, ON, to obtain a credit card in the name of the victim. But, the string of fraud didn’t stop there. OPP investigators state that the identical ID was used once more in Surrey, B.C., to purchase a “luxury vehicle.”
At this time, police are asking members of the public to come forward if they recognize the subject in question. Anyone who may have information about the matter has been asked to contact the Nottwasaga police, the news outlet noted. The state of identity fraud in Canada
most reported type for that year, with over 9,600 reported incidents out of 108,878 (3). And these cases only represent a small portion of the fraud in Canada; the CAFC estimates that only 5% to 10% of incidents are actually reported (4). In total, Canadians lost a combined $643 million to fraudulent activity in 2024.
Identity fraud can take many forms, from obtaining personal information from a phishing email or even impersonating a financial authority to get key information from consumers to open bank accounts or apply for credit cards. In some cases, fraudsters can obtain personal information from data breaches against businesses or even buy personal information from an inside source (5).
Identity fraud — bad actors stealing personal information for financial benefit (2) — is one of the most persistent, and most reported, fraud types across the nation. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s (CAFC) 2024 Annual Statistical Report, identity fraud was the
Once they have this information, bad actors use it for immediate financial gain. This is usually done by applying for additional credits in the victim’s name, draining their bank accounts, applying for loans or other benefits, or making lavish purchases (6). The only real pattern with fraudsters is taking advantage of others, and doing so quickly. While identity fraud is devastating in its own right, it's the more hidden consequences that can wreak continued havoc on consumers after the incident is resolved.
Surrey Hells Angels dissolved, but new chapter opens on Vancouver Island
Since then, two full-patch Hardside members have been murdered and the chapter has been named in lawsuits by both the B.C. government and the City of Surrey.
Postmedia News has learned that in mid-March Hardside was officially closed, with its remaining members moving to other Hells Angels chapters.
Sgt. Sarbjit Sangha of the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit confirmed Wednesday that “the Hardside chapter is currently inactive and effectively dissolved.”
Just a year-and-a-half after Hardside opened, the body of prominent member Chad Wilson was found under the Golden Ears Bridge in Maple Ridge. He had been shot to death. His murder remains unsolved.
Then, in August 2019, Wilson’s fellow Hardside
Greg DelBigio, the lawyer representing former Hardside member Shannon Rennie in the lawsuit, declined to comment Wednesday on whether the chapter closure will have any impact on the case.
“This case is ongoing so I can’t comment,”
DelBigio said in an email.
Hells Angels and associates arrive at the motorcycle club's White Rock clubhouse in Langley on July 22, 2023.
No crime or criminals here, say B.C. Hells Angels fighting court forfeiture of clubhouses
The Hells Angels' Hardside chapter clubhouse at 18068-96th Ave. in Surrey on Aug. 16, 2020.
Meanwhile, B.C.’s director of civil forfeiture also filed a lawsuit against the Surrey property owners, Gurbinder Singh and Kulwant Kaur Johal, as well as the owners of Hells Angels clubhouses in Mission and Pitt Meadows. The lawsuit, filed in December 2025, says all three properties should be forfeited to the B.C. government for their links to “a criminal organization.”
gangmate Suminder (Allie) Grewal was gunned down in a busy Starbucks drive-thru in South Surrey. Two Alberta men later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
In 2020, Surrey filed suit against Hardside’s use of a rented property on 96th Avenue as its clubhouse. The lawsuit claimed the bikers were violating city bylaws and had made renovations without permits — something the defendants denied in their responses. That suit is due to go to trial next year.
Four British Columbians fined $3.5 million for pump-and-dump stock fraud
Quebec’s investment markets regulator has found that four British Columbians committed an international pump-and-dump stock fraud and fined them $3.5 million.
Pasquale Antonio Rocca of Vancouver was fined $630,000, Shawn Van Damme of Maple Ridge was fined $500,000, and Vincenzo Antonio Carnovale of West Vancouver was fined $300,000.
All four were banned from carrying out any activity related to securities transactions in Quebec’s markets, and prohibited for five years from acting as an administrator or officer of an issuer, broker, adviser or investment fund manager in Quebec.
The sanctions come more than two years after
the Quebec securities commission, the Autorité des marchés financiers, and Quebec’s Financial Market Administrative Tribunal successfully defended its jurisdiction to prosecute financial fraudsters who live outside of Quebec. That six-year fight ended when the Supreme Court of Canada found, in a 7-1 decision, that Quebec’s tribunal and the province’s securities commission have jurisdiction when there is a “sufficient connection” or a “real and substantial connection” between the province and the defendant. Unlike in the U.S. or the U.K., Canada doesn’t have a national securities regulator, Instead, each province has it own securities commission.
While West Side has already got an Instagram account, no details have been released about where on the Island it will be based.
The B.C. government seized the Nanaimo chapter’s clubhouse in 2023 after a 16-year-long civil forfeiture court battle. However, Nanaimo Hells Angels members have continued to use two neighbouring properties owned by chapter members.
The province also seized clubhouses in Kelowna and east Vancouver after winning the earlier civil forfeiture suit at the B.C. Court of Appeal.
The Hells Angels first opened in B.C. when the original U.S. club “patched over” an existing B.C. gang called the Satan’s Angels on July 23, 1983. Vancouver, White Rock and Nanaimo are the original chapters, followed by East End later in 1983, Haney in 1987, the Nomads in 1998, Mission City in 1999, Kelowna in 2007, and West Point in 2012.
No major change in forecast as TC Vaianu continues to move towards Fiji
There has been no significant change in the latest evening weather bulletin, with forecasters maintaining earlier warnings as Tropical Cyclone Vaianu continues to influence Fiji’s weather.
The National Weather Forecasting Centre confirmed that a heavy rain warning, flash flood
alert and strong wind warning remain in force across the country.
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu, a Category 2 system, was located west-northwest of Fiji earlier today and continues to move southeast at about 10km/h. Its associated rain bands are already affecting the group and are expected to persist over the next few days.
For affected areas including the Northern Division, Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, western Viti Levu, and Kadavu, strong winds of up to 45km/h with higher gusts are expected to intensify from tomorrow, reaching up to 60km/h with gusts of 90km/h.
Seas are forecast to remain rough to very rough, with unsettled conditions expected to continue nationwide.
Govt issues tough warning on vehicle use amid fuel concerns
Government has warned that official vehicles may be impounded on the spot if misused, as part of stricter measures to control fuel consumption and enforce accountability.
In a circular issued on April 2, Permanent Secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder outlined tighter rules governing the use of government vehicles.
“We will work with the Fiji Police Force and Land Transport Authority… including impounding the vehicle on the spot. Strict disciplinary action will be instituted for any breach,” Mr Gounder said.
The directive comes amid rising fuel costs, with authorities moving to curb unnecessary
usage and ensure compliance across all ministries and agencies. Under the new measures, the use of government vehicles after hours will require prior approval.
“Use of government vehicles after hours must have the approval from the respective Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments,” Mr Gounder said.
He added that any vehicle used beyond normal working hours must carry an official vehicle pass.
Government has also made it clear that official vehicles are strictly for work purposes only.
“The use of official vehicles must be for Government purposes only and any detours or private use is strictly prohibited,” he said.
Only PM, President allowed backup vehicles under new Govt rules
Government has introduced strict new controls on the use of official vehicles, limiting backup vehicles to only the President and Prime Minister while tightening rules on transport for senior officials.
In a circular issued on April 2, Permanent Secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder said no backup vehicles would be permitted except for the country’s top leadership.
“No vehicle backups are allowed except for His Excellency the President and the Honourable Prime Minister,” Mr Gounder stated.
The directive also restricts home pick-up and drop-off privileges,
allowing them only for Permanent Secretaries under normal working conditions.
“Officers other than the Permanent Secretary are not allowed to be picked up and/or dropped off home during normal working hours unless authorised… for urgent and priority tasks,” he said.
Punjab influencer murder accused deported from UAE
Amritpal Singh of Mehron village, the alleged mastermind in the sensational murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, has been taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is being flown back to Punjab under deportation rules, the police confirmed today.
Senior police officials said a team of the Bathinda police, led by a DSP-rank officer, got the custody of the accused from the UAE authorities. He boarded the flight and was expected to arrive in India tonight.
Mehron was detained by the Sharjah police in January this year during a visa-related inquiry, but deportation formalities took time to complete. The brutal murder of Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi on social media, had sent shockwaves across Punjab in June 2025. The influencer
was allegedly lured to Bathinda under the pretext of a promotional event. She was strangled to death on the night of June 9-10, and her body was found three days later inside a car parked at an Adesh University lot.
Police investigations revealed that Mehron, a Nihang Sikh, along with two accomplices — Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh, also Nihangs — carried out the killing. The motive was reportedly linked to Kanchan’s social media content, which the accused claimed offended Sikh sentiments.
Mehron fled the country just hours after the crime. He boarded a flight from the Amritsar International Airport to the UAE on the morning of June 10, 2025, even before a lookout circular could be issued against him. The Bathinda police later arrested his two accomplices, while Mehron remained at large.
The Haryana Government has suspended two IAS officers following investigations into the Rs 590-crore IDFC First and AU Small Finance Bank scam, and the Rs 150-crore Kotak Mahindra Bank scam.
Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi issued the suspension orders of 2011-batch IAS officer Pardeep Kumar and 2012-batch IAS officer Ram Kumar Singh on April 8.
Kumar was the Director, State Transport, and Special Secretary, Transport Department, before the suspension, while Singh was posted as Special Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, and Additional CEO, Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority, before his suspension.
departments were affected: 10 at IDFC First Bank and two at AU Small Finance Bank. The CBI registered an FIR in the case on April 8. Earlier, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) investigated the case, following an FIR on February 23.
In the IDFC First and AU Small Finance Bank scam, 12 bank accounts across the eight Haryana
As per a letter, dated March 25, sent by the Haryana Government to the Ministry of Personnel, recommending a CBI probe, the scam pertains to fraudulent banking operations and fictitious transactions allegedly undertaken in a systematic manner to siphon off government funds into the accounts of shell entities, including Swastik Desh Project, SRR Planning Gurus Pvt Ltd, Cap Co Fintech Services, RS Traders, and other associated firms/ individuals, resulting in a substantial loss to the public exchequer, estimated to exceed Rs 550 crore.
Following directives from the Central Government, the Chandigarh Administration has prepared a draft to re-launch the “Bed & Breakfast (home stay) Scheme”, which was previously scrapped in 2009-2010 due to complaints and irregularities.
Homeowners will now be able to offer “home stay” facilities within their residences. The administration has invited suggestions or objections from the public till April 14.
Following various irregularities and complaints, the administration had scrapped the scheme during the 2009-10 period.
The objective of the scheme is to provide tourists with a “home away from home” experience and allow homeowners to earn income from vacant rooms. It will be mandatory to register the house with the designated authority.
A homeowner can use eight or more rooms for the scheme. The house must retain its residential appearance. No front desks, reception areas or offices are allowed. Every bedroom must have an attached bathroom, proper power supply, ventilation and adequate lighting. Parking space must be available either within the premises or nearby. A "Classification Committee" will inspect the property after an application is filed. Based on its report, a three-year registration certificate will be issued.
Vikram Misri visits Pentagon, discusses defence co-production, tech ties
India and the US on Wednesday discussed ways to take forward defence industrial and technology linkages as part of ongoing efforts to co-produce and co-develop high-end technologies.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held an interaction with US Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment Mike Duffey at the Pentagon in Washington DC. The discussions took place even as IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is on an official visit to the US.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, in a post on X, said the meeting aimed at “advancing the India-US major defence partnership, focusing on co-production, sustainment and shared priorities
in the Indo-Pacific”.
The Indian Embassy in the US also said the two sides discussed ways to further deepen defence industrial, technology and supply chain linkages in line with the ambitious goals laid out in the framework for the bilateral major defence partnership signed last year.
On Wednesday, the IAF Chief visited the Peterson Space Force Base. The IAF said the interaction involved “a productive exchange of perspectives on complex operational modalities, reflecting the strength of the growing partnership”. The Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership was signed between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in October last year.
Assam logs record 85% turnout, Kerala 78%, Puducherry 90% in single-phase polling
Polling for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry concluded peacefully on Thursday, with no untoward incidents reported, even as the two states and the UT registered their highest voter turnouts in the last 50 years.
Assam recorded a turnout of 85.6 per cent till 8 pm, Kerala saw a turnout of 78.23 per cent and Puducherry registered 89.8 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Notably, in the 2021 Assembly elections, Assam had recorded a voter turnout of 82.04 per cent, while Kerala had registered 74.06 per cent and Puducherry had seen a turnout of 82.2 per
ECI sources said the record turnout showed that electors had strong trust in the poll body and in the transparently conducted special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in these states.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, reacting to the high turnout, said, “The Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry are a historic testimony not only for India but for the entire democratic world. On behalf of the ECI, I congratulate each and every elector of Assam, Puducherry and Kerala for this historic achievement.”
PM Modi urges back women’s quota rollout
The appeal came even as the Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc is set to meet on April 12 to finalise its strategy on the issue, particularly in response to the government’s move to extend the Budget session of Parliament to introduce the amendments amid the ongoing Assembly election cycle.
Addressing women, the PM said the government was engaging with all parties on the Bills proposed to be taken up during the extended Budget session from April 16 to 18, and urged them to press their respective parties to support the agenda.
He recalled the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for
women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, noting that the landmark legislation was passed with broad consensus.
“Now everyone wants that when the 2029 elections are held, our women must get 33 per cent space in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. For some days we have been talking to political parties. Many parties have supported our move. A positive atmosphere is visible. Women should appeal to all parties to pass the women’s reservation by 2029 agenda when their MPs attend the Budget session scheduled from April 16 to 18,” Modi said, as the ruling BJP seeks to build a broader campaign around the issue.
Heavy voter turnout in Kerala leaves 3 major fronts guessing
Reflecting a high-octane political battle, Kerala witnessed a heavy voter turnout on Thursday, putting all the three major fronts in the fray on the edge.
The near-record level polling is being attributed to the intense competition between the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and, partially, to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which had resulted in the downsizing of the electors’ list by close to a million votes.
According to the figures released after 8 pm, 78.23 per cent of the 2.71 crore voters had cast their votes, and this is higher than the 74.06 per cent polling recorded in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Historically, high turnouts in Kerala have signalled periods of intense political friction. The state saw its highest-ever turnout in 1960 at 85.70 per cent, followed by 1987 at 80.53 per cent and 1977 at 79.20 per cent. The central question looming over this election is who this surge will benefit. While all three fronts claim the momentum favours them, the ground reality remains a matter of intense speculation. Speaking to mediapersons after casting his vote, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan exuded confidence about the chances of the LDF, saying, “We have achieved much across all sectors.
That progress must continue. Even those in opposing fronts want development.
