Peel police officer suspended after participating in protest outside temple in Brampton

OTTAWA: A Peel Regional Police officer has been suspended after being identified in videos of a protest at the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, on Sunday, CBC News reported.

The suspended officer is Sergeant Harinder Sohi, an 18-year veteran of the force. Following the suspension, Sergeant Sohi has received death threats on social media, prompting the Peel Regional Police Association to offer “assistance and protection”. Sohi at present does not face any allegations of wrongdoing.

Richard Chin, Peel Police spokesperson, said that they are aware of the video circulating on social media showing one of their off-duty officers participating in a protest.

“We are aware of a video circulating on social media which shows an off-duty Peel police officer involved in a demonstration. This officer has since been suspended in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act. We are investigating the circumstances in totality depicted in the video and are unable to provide further information until such time that this investigation is complete”, Chin said, according to CBC News.

Meanwhile, Peel Regional Police asserted that they are taking measures to ensure “peaceful and lawful” planned protests by deploying officers. Sharing a post on X, the Peel Regional Police wrote, “Officers will be deployed to ensure peace and lawfulness at planned demonstrations. Violence and other criminal acts has no place in our community”.

Officers will be deployed to ensure peace & lawfulness at planned demonstrations. Violence & other criminal acts has no place in our community. pic.twitter.com/ebrLHCszQZ

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) November 4, 2024

A day earlier, the Peel Regional Police said that the investigators arrested four people related to the protests in Brampton and Mississauga, and included 43-year-old Dilpreet Singh Bouns, 23-year-old Vikas, and 31-year-old Amritpal Singh.

Also, the Peel Regional Police on Monday said that they made several arrests in connection to the protests in Brampton and Mississauga, Ontario. Four people were arrested, including 43-year-old Dilpreet Singh Bouns, 23-year-old Vikas, and 31-year-old Amritpal Singh.

In a statement, the police said, “Investigators have arrested four individuals in relation to protests in the City of Brampton and Mississauga. On Sunday, November 3, 2024, at approximately 12:00 pm, officers attended a place of worship in the area of The Gore Road in Brampton in response to a trespassing complaint by a group of protestors. Later a demonstration occurred in the area of Goreway Drive and Etude Drive in Mississauga.

“Finally, a third protest occurred shortly after at a place of worship near Airport Road and Drew Road in Mississauga. Although these demonstrations occurred at three different locations, they appear to be related to one another. Several incidents between protestors and worshippers broke out. A fourth individual was arrested on an outstanding unrelated warrant and subsequently released.”

The police further informed about those arrested and said, “As a result, three men were arrested and charged. Dilpreet Singh Bouns, a 43-year-old man from Mississauga, was charged with cause disturbance and assault Peace Officer; Vikas, a 23-year-old man from Brampton, was charged with assault with a weapon; and Amritpal Singh, a 31-year-old man from Mississauga, was charged with mischief over USD 5000. All three men will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.”

On Sunday, an Indian consular camp at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Canada’s Brampton witnessed a “violent disruption” in Brampton, near Toronto. Following the attacks, the Hindu Canadian Foundation, a non-profit organisation working for the Hindu community in Canada, shared a video of the attack on the temple and said that the Khalistani terrorists attacked kids and women.

The Indian High Commission in Canada condemned the “violent disruption” by ‘anti-India’ elements outside a consular camp. The high commission also said that any further events will be organised “contingent on security arrangements” made by the local authorities. (ANI)