Canada Calling: Two Indians behind bars, one for human trafficking, another for stealing, and PAU Ludhiana alumnus is McGill Vice-Chancellor

Himself living in Canada illegally, Singh, according to the US officials, “has successfully moved illegal aliens northbound into Canada and southbound into the United States using the geographic vulnerabilities of the AMIR (Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation).”

The charges give a glimpse into how human smuggling networks operate, and the steep prices they charge, with migrants reportedly paying between $5,000 and $35,000.

Singh himself was living illegally in Canada, having lost a refugee claim. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Fired Indian-origin bureaucrat gets 10 years in prison for stealing millions

Former Ontario bureaucrat Sanjay Madan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling an eye-watering $47.4 million from the provincial government, including $11 million from a Covid-19 relief program.

The scandal, which has shocked Ontario, is worthy of a Netflix crime series. Madan was in charge of the provincial education ministry’s IT system and payments processing, giving him the ability to manipulate and divert funds without oversight.

Bespectacled and unassuming, Madan funneled about 11 million dollars of government money, meant for Ontario families, into his and his own family members’ bank accounts.

And it was while facing trial in this case that he let slip it wasn’t the first time he had stolen – it was the first time he was caught. Another, even bigger, scandal came to light where it emerged Madan had taken large kickbacks to provide lucrative government contracts to consultancy companies. Over the years, Madan received 36.4 million dollars in this manner.

Madan’s family was allegedly involved in the scandal. They owned multiple properties in the Greater Toronto Area and India, luxury items and even a yacht. But while Madan is prison-bound, criminal charges against his wife, Shalini Madan, and two adult sons were dropped as a part of a plea bargain.

Punjab-bound flyers rejoice as a new airline starts Toronto-Amritsar flight via Milan

Italian carrier Neos Airline has started weekly flights from Toronto to Amritsar via Milan – a move that has generated considerable excitement in the Greater Toronto Area’s Punjabi community. The first flight took off on April 6 with much fanfare.

Flights to Amritsar from Canada have been a long standing demand of many Punjabi Canadians, who feel it would spare them an arduous journey after landing in – and before flying from – Delhi.

“It’s a huge move,” said Harminder Dhillon, an advocate of direct flights between Toronto/Vancouver and Amritsar.

“People leaving from YYZ to Amritsar will reach India in 18 hours 45 min, despite a two-hour stopover in Milan. That’s remarkable: That’s the time it takes people to reach the Delhi airport and get their luggage. It’s a boon for not only travelers to Punjab, but also to J&K, Himachal and parts of Rajasthan such as Sri Ganganagar,” he added.

Newsmaker: Punjabi Canadian is McGill University’s first person-of-colour principal

Deep Saini, newly appointed principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University

In a historic move, Deep Saini has taken charge as the 18th Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, becoming the first person of color to hold this position in the prestigious university’s 200-year history. Saini, a Punjabi Canadian, has an illustrious academic career, having served in various senior leadership roles at different universities in Canada and Australia.

Before joining McGill, Saini, a noted plant biologist and an alumnus of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, served as the Vice-Chancellor and President of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

(Daksh Panwar is an Ontario-based journalist and broadcaster. Twitter: @Daksh280)