Canada has granted visa and a free ticket to the retired CRPF top cop who, a week back, was denied entry to Canada.
The Canadian authorities had denied visa to a top ranking retired Indian police officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the charges that the paramilitary force in which he worked had committed “human rights” violations.
Later, a statement released by the Canada's High Commissioner to India, Nadir Patel, regretted the inconvenience caused to the officer and his family.
Officials from the Canadian High Commission on Wednesday met the cop at his residence in Punjab and the matter seems to have been resolved amicably.
India was quick to voice its protest and said that it has taken up the matter with the Canadian Government and that the “characterisation of a reputed force like the CRPF was completely unacceptable”.
Tejinder Singh Dhillon, who retired as inspector general of police of the CRPF,was declared inadmissible under the Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
According to reports emerging out of Canada, the initial document given to Dhillon said that he was being denied the visa because the government he worked for “engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide”.
Later, the immigration authorities retraced the earlier document, which attacked the Indian Government and issued a new document where the attack was specifically on the CRPF.
The new document later issued to Dhillon for refusing him a visa said that the force he worked for was accused of “committing widespread and systemic human rights abuses, for example torture, arbitrary detention, murder and sexual assault”.
The Canadian High Commissioner sought to damage control the situation and said that, "Form letters in use by the Government of Canada include generic language taken from Canada’s legislation. In this case, the language does not reflect the Government of Canada’s policy toward India or any particular organisation, including the Central Reserve Police Force of India. The Central Reserve Police Force plays an important role in upholding law and order in India."
Dhillon is now all set to travel to Canada to attend the wedding of his niece.
