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Two Indian-origin men get life terms in Calgary murders
Jaskaran Singh Sidhu and Prabhjyot Bhatti convicted of first-degree murder, will not be eligible for parole for 25 years. Both have filed appeals, citing alleged errors in their trial.
Stock image. / Pexels
Two Indian-origin men, Jaskaran Singh Sidhu and Prabhjyot Bhatti, have been sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 ambush killing of two Indian-origin drug dealers, Jasdeep Singh, 25, and Japneet Malhi, 22. The murders were part of a revenge plot stemming from a gang-related stabbing incident in 2016.
The fatal shooting occurred as the victims, along with Malhi’s girlfriend, were leaving a lounge and entering Singh’s Mercedes SUV. A sedan pulled up, and shots were fired, killing Singh and Malhi on the spot.
Sidhu and Bhatti, convicted of first-degree murder, will not be eligible for parole for 25 years. Both have filed appeals, citing alleged errors in their trial.
Amandeep Saggu, an Indian-origin gang leader, was identified as the mastermind behind the killings. Saggu, who has a history of drug smuggling and organized crime, admitted to planning the attack as revenge for being stabbed by Malhi in 2016. Reports indicate Saggu was present in the sedan during the shooting.
In 2022, Saggu pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison. Court records revealed he had been planning the retaliation for years, refusing to cooperate with police in the original stabbing incident.
Key testimony came from a protected witness, identified as WA, who confirmed the victims’ presence at the lounge to Sidhu and Bhatti. WA stated the two men waited in their car for 90 minutes before executing the attack.
WA also described an earlier encounter with the shooters that night. He testified that Sidhu pointed a gun at him, saying, “You’re lucky you didn’t get shot.”
The investigation, which spanned 18 months, uncovered Saggu’s involvement in a violent drug-trafficking network across Western Canada. The mastermind faced multiple charges, including instructing criminal acts and trafficking controlled substances.
During the trial, defence lawyers Andrea Urquhart and Shamsher Kothari argued that the prosecution failed to prove Sidhu and Bhatti were in the sedan during the attack. They also challenged the reliability of WA’s testimony.
Despite these arguments, a 12-member jury deliberated for a day before delivering guilty verdicts.
Justice Karen Horner imposed mandatory life sentences on Sidhu and Bhatti. Both men have since appealed the verdict, claiming errors in the judge’s instructions and the admission of prejudicial evidence. A date for the appeal hearings has yet to be set.
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