The Asian Star October 14 2017

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Vol 16 - Issue 37

Saturday, October 14, 2017

DIWALI Let us Celebrate and Calibrate Zile Singh, (Ambassador Retd.)

“Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” - Mark Twain. Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most important Hindu festivals of lights celebrated throughout India in the month of October/November, depending on the Calendar. This year it is on October 19. Not only in India, this festival is celebrated in Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and recently the Sindh Province of Pakistan. The celebrations are spread over five days, namely – Dhanteras, Continued on Diwali special page 1

Happy Diwali

South Asian with no criminal record charged in kidnapping and sexual assault case A Prince George man has been arrested and charged after a report of a kidnapping and sexual assault that prompted police to warn the public, especially women, to be careful when travelling alone. RCMP issue warning after woman kidnapped and assaulted in Prince George Sukhjinder Singh, 26, is scheduled to appear in court again Oct. 19, 2017 to answer to one count of kidnapping

and one count of sexual assault. He made his first appearance this week. The charges stem from an incident on Sep. 3, 2017 at a Prince George gas station parking lot. Investigators say a woman was trying to fix a tire when a man, who was parked nearby, offered to help. This is the parking lot where

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Edmonton criminal lawyer suspended after domestic assault conviction The Law Society of Alberta has suspended an Edmonton criminal lawyer from practice for a year after he pleaded guilty earlier this month to domestic assault charges. Ravi Prithipaul admits he repeatedly abused his wife Shannon Prithipaul for 17 years over the course of their marriage. Shannon Prithipaul is an Edmonton criminal lawyer and the former president of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association. Continued on page 10

South Asian Constable in middle of fight between VPD and IIO A court filing from B.C.’s police watchdog has made public the gruesome list of injuries suffered by Myles Gray in his fatal encounter with Vancouver police two years ago. The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking for an order directing an officer who witnessed the altercation to sit for a second interview. The petition alleges Const. Hardeep Sahota has refused numerous requests from the IIO. Gray, a 33-year-old businessman from Sechelt, died after a violent struggle with as many as eight

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Vancouver police officers in August 2015. Gray was unarmed, and the officers were the only witnesses to the altercation. According to the IIO’s petition, a forensic autopsy revealed a long list of injuries to Gray’s body, including a “fractured voice box; nasal fracture; dislocated jaw; fractured right orbital eye socket; fractured posterior right third rib; fractured sternum; hemorrhagic injury of one testicle; multi-focal bruising to thigh and right arm.” Investigators say they have yet to determine the exact cause of death. Myles Gray outside Continued on page 6

Ravi Prithipaul admitted he repeatedly abused his wife

Asian Star photographer Chandra Bodalia honored with Canadian flag presentation

The late Asian Star photographer Chandra Bodalia’s widow (third from left) being presented with the Canadian flag that flew on the Parliament Hill on the day Chandra died. On May 24 2017 the Canadian flag gracefully flew over the Peace tower at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada and like every weekday morning the flag master had changed the Peace Tower flag. Also on that same day Chandra Bodalia peacefully took his last breath after a courageous battle with throat cancer. That flag that flew on that beautiful day was collected, saved and safely secured for the Bodalia family. To say that this is less than

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