Surrey’s Gateway Pizza and Banquet hall owner Jawahar Singh Padda apparently had a life-changing incident that led him to putting on the Sikh turban but that didn’t lead to him becoming a good Sikh following his earlier conviction and a 29 month jail sentence as he is back in the news for apparently a worst crime. Padda was charged with sexual assault, unlawful detention and threats on July 15, according to court information. Padda was subsequently arrested on July 18. Sources tell DESIBUZZCanada that it allegedly involves a female employee at one of his businesses and that she allegedly recorded the assault and Padda’s behavior on video which led to his arrest three days after the alleged sexual assault, which according to our sources, took place at a hotel in Surrey. But this information has not been confirmed by the police.

By Mr. X – Special to DESIBUZZCanada

SURREY – Surrey’s Gateway Pizza and Banquet hall owner Jawahar Singh Padda apparently had a life-changing incident that led him to putting on the Sikh turban but that didn’t lead to him becoming a good Sikh following his earlier conviction and a 29 month jail sentence as he is back in the news for apparently a worst crime.

Padda was charged with sexual assault, unlawful detention and threats on July 15, according to court information, and was subsequently arrested on July 18. 

Sources tell DESIBUZZCanada that it allegedly involves a female employee at one of his businesses and that she allegedly recorded the assault and Padda’s behavior on video which led to his arrest three days after the alleged sexual assault, which according to our sources, took place at a hotel in Surrey. But this information has not been confirmed by the police.

Padda, who recently partnered with a prominent indo-Canadian businessman in Surrey to buy the former Crystal Banquet hall, was released on bail on July 28.

Padda was previously sentenced to 29 months and 22 days in prison after he was convicted of a number of offences, including pointing a firearm, uttering threats, forcible confinement without lawful authority and assault. 

Padda was charged in November 2016 after an incident at his pizza shop allegedly involving an employee.

RCMP arrested Padda on November 1st, 2016 after police was called to Gateway Pizza. At the time of Padda’s arrest, he was taken into custody and later released on $25,000 bail. 

Padda was convicted and sentenced in 2019. Later that year he tried to appeal his sentence but the BC Court of Appeals denied his request for a conditional sentence of two years less a day. Alternatively, he wanted a shorter sentence followed by three years of probation.

Judge David Harris affirmed the verdict, with Judges Mary Saunders and John Hunter concurring.

Under “The offences” the judgment reads: “Mr. Padda was in possession of a banned handgun along with ammunition for illegally purchasing it for $4,000 in late October 2016. He felt he needed the gun for protection in his restaurant, even though he had already hired a security company to protect him and his staff from shady acquaintances who once showed up late and threatened employees.

“Just after midnight on November 1, 2016, Mr. Padda entered the kitchen of a restaurant he owns and brandished the pistol. Several employees were present in the kitchen area. He loaded the pistol in front of his employees. He was clearly drunk; drunk and he had also used cocaine. The incident, which lasted about 35 minutes, was caught and recorded by video cameras. The records, along with records from other times in the vicinity of the incident, were exhibits for sentencing and were viewed by the judge.

“The records showed that Mr. Padda pointed the pistol at female employees. He gestured “as if to cock the gun” while pointing it at his employees. Sometimes Mr. Padda seemed to joke with his employees; at other times he became aggressive. He slapped an employee at least twice with his hand and pushed her while in possession of the pistol. As set out in the sentencing reasoning, the judge found that by hitting and shoving his armed employee, Mr. Padda had “terrorized a woman over whom, as her employer, he had a position of trust and authority”… Eventually, Mr. Padda left Dropping a pistol after confronting a security guard. The judge found that Mr. Padda had placed his employees in grave danger.”

People who know Padda said the jail sentence was inevitable given the new gun laws of mandatory 5 years for gun offences but Padda was hoping for a lighter sentence than he got.

Padda, who used to sport a bald head, began wearing the traditional Sikh turban and a beard shortly after being convicted.

“I think he was making a change in his life following the incident and hoping to change his image but it doesn’t undo your crime,” said a person who knows him.

The sporting of the turban apparently didn’t change a thing as he is back facing criminal charges.