Sikh man not willing to get deported to India.

A Sikh man from India has declined to sign the papers of his deportation, as he is not willing to leave Canada. As per the records, this Sikh man named Manjit Singh Rattu came to Canada in 1995 and he claimed for refugee status on the ground that his life was not secured in India. Before his deportation, he is staying in Alberta at the Calgary Remand Centre.

Manjit was arrested two years back in Toronto and after that the police enquired his thoroughly about the murder case of a Punjabi journalist and Tara Singh Hayer (founder-editor of Indo-Canadian Times). Hayer was shot dead at his own place in Nov. 1998 before the trail of the case of 1985 Air India bombing, in which he was supposed to be a witness.

Rattu’s lawyer has put forward that his client his declared innocent in case of Hayer. Rattu has also been charges for giving false information and using stolen identity cards since his stay in Canada 1995 onwards. Canada Immigration Refugee Board decided to keep Rattu in custody till time he is deported to India. But the twist in the plan of the deportation cropped up, as his Indian passport has got expired. So, the need was to apply for fresh visa, but Rattu refused to sign the related documents in order to get to the visa.

A Calgary newspaper has reported that Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) got in touch with Indian High Commission in Ottawa in order to plan Rattu’s departure without his willingness. Some source has also revealed that once Rattu was permanent resident of US, but he was refused for the extension after the expiry of the status.

Rattu’s lawyer has put forward the request to refugee board to free his client on temporary basis, so that he can apply for the revival of US permanent residence status. He also said that the life of his client will have threat to his life if sent to India and that Rattu is away from India to save his life.