Canadian court pauses deportation of Indian-origin driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu over 2018 crash that killed 16

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu caused the death of almost an entire junior hockey team in 2018

A Canadian court has granted a last-minute stay on the deportation of Indian-origin truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, temporarily stopping his removal to India just days before he was due to be sent back.The emergency order was issued by Justice Jocelyne Gagné who paused Sidhu’s deportation while the court reviews an ongoing legal challenge. Sidhu is seeking to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to delay his removal.Sidhu is a permanent resident of Canada who was scheduled to be deported on Monday next week. His legal team continues to contest the decision, arguing that his personal circumstances were not adequately considered.The case stems from the 2018 crash in Saskatchewan, one of the deadliest incidents in Canadian sporting history. Sidhu drove a lorry through a stop sign at a rural intersection near Tisdale and collided with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. Sixteen people were killed and thirteen others injured.He was later sentenced to eight years in prison for dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. After serving part of his sentence, Sidhu was granted parole.Earlier, Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board had ruled that he should be deported. Even Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, described the case as inevitable under existing law. Greene said the ruling only required proof that Sidhu was not a Canadian citizen and had committed a serious crime.The Federal Court had earlier rejected arguments from Sidhu’s legal team that border officials failed to consider his clean record prior to the crash and his remorse.Meanwhile, opinions remain divided. Several families of the victims had called for Sidhu’s deportation, saying it is necessary for justice. At the same time, advocacy efforts have emerged on both sides, including a petition by media platform The Counter Signal urging authorities to deport him without delay.