ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Indian pleads guilty of sexual assaults in Surrey

A former priest at the Khalsa Sikh school, Surrey, in British Columbia, has pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting young girls.

Beant Singh Sekhon, 55, remains free on bail pending a sentencing hearing on December 2, crown counsel Don Buss said.

In the meantime, the federal immigration department will begin its process of placing Sekhon in 'the removal stream,' immigration official Murray Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson confirmed that Sekhon has no current status in Canada as a citizen or landed immigrant, but had been given employment authorisation when he was at the Khalsa school.

He said Sekhon would not be returned to India until his sentence has been dealt with.

Buss said Sekhon, who was priest and instructor of religious hymns at the school, was originally charged with sexual assault and sexual interference of nine different girls, all students at the school, each involving three counts.

The guilty plea was important to spare the girls, ranging from nine to 12 years, from testifying in court, Buss said.

The other charges against Sekhon have been dropped.

Many of the families involved were reluctant about having their children go to court to face the former priest, and most of the girls have moved onto other schools, Buss said.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report