Canadian Sikh Officer Sues Indian Government Over Alleged State-Sponsored Disinformation

New Delhi, India: In a rare and unprecedented legal move, Sandeep Singh Sidhu, a Sikh resident of British Columbia and long-serving Superintendent at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), has filed a lawsuit against the Government of India in the Ontario Superior Court, alleging a state-backed disinformation campaign that severely damaged his reputation.

Sidhu, who has served nearly two decades at CBSA, claims that an Indian “state-sponsored disinformation campaign” falsely portrayed him as a fugitive terrorist. His lawyer, Jeffrey Crocker, stated that the misinformation spread beyond the internet, reaching Sidhu’s neighborhood, workplace, and family, forcing them to relocate for safety. Even his daughter’s school reportedly faced concerns about potential threats.

Allegations Levelled Against Sidhu

Sidhu, in his role as Superintendent, oversaw border law enforcement, frontline officer supervision, detention of suspects, and prevention of illegal activities. However, in October 2024, Indian media, citing claims from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Indian Supreme Court, began portraying him as:

• A member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)
• A fugitive terrorist allegedly connected to Pakistan
• The mastermind behind the 2020 murder of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra

Sidhu has categorically denied all allegations, asserting that he has never been to Pakistan, has no contact with any terrorist organization, and has no involvement in the Sandhu murder case.

Consequences of the Disinformation Campaign

According to Crocker and his colleague Frank Portman, the campaign had devastating personal and professional consequences. “Sidhu’s career and credibility, built over 20 years, were destroyed by these false claims. Canada should have intervened earlier, but its silence allowed this disinformation to escalate,” Portman said.

He added that the online misinformation eventually influenced workplace decisions and institutional discussions, as no official authority publicly refuted the claims. While Sidhu was temporarily removed from frontline duties, polygraph tests and CBSA investigations found no evidence to support terrorism allegations, and he was subsequently reinstated.

This lawsuit is being closely watched as a landmark case highlighting the dangers of state-sponsored disinformation, transnational reputation attacks, and the responsibility of governments to protect their citizens abroad.