THREE INDO CANADIANS TO FACE STIFF SENTENCES

Three men found guilty in the gang-style kidnapping of an Abbotsford man are facing the possibility of stiff sentences in Vancouver Supreme Court. Sarpreet Singh Johal of Surrey, Harjit Singh Deo of New Westminster, and Jasvinder Mangat of Burnaby were found guilty of kidnapping using a firearm, and extortion using a firearm. Mangat was also convicted of assault causing bodily harm, and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose. All were charged in connection with the May 2, 2005 kidnapping of Abbotsford resident Harjit Toor from his Coquitlam workplace.
Toor – who the kidnappers believed stole 300 pounds of marijuana – was bound, beaten, and held for ransom before being released two days later. The Crown and defence made lengthy submissions to Justice Arne Silverman when the accused first appeared in court for sentencing Jan. 8. The Crown is asking for a sentence of 10 to 14 years given the seriousness of the crime and the degree of the men’s involvement, said prosecutor Michel Huot last week. “Crown’s position is the accused had more or less the same degree of involvement in the kidnapping as Jethinder Raman Narwal and so should receive a similar sentence,” Huot said. Narwal, a Surrey resident, has already been convicted in the case and was sentenced in March to a total of 17 years in jail. The Surrey man was found guilty in the kidnapping of three people – including Toor – in three separate incidents in 2005.
Joe Bellows, Crown counsel for the Narwal trial, told the media after sentencing the prison term is believed to be the longest in B.C. for the offences for which he was convicted. When Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein handed down Narwal’s sentence, she gave him 22 months credit for 11 months already served, meaning he has more than 14 years in prison remaining. The trial for the roles played by Deo, Johal, and Mangat in the kidnapping started in September 2006 and ended with their conviction Oct. 20. At that time, a fifth man allegedly involved in the kidnapping, Davinder Singh Johal of Vancouver, was acquitted.