A senior Canadian border official has initiated a multi-million dollar legal battle against the Government of India, alleging a coordinated smear campaign falsely labelled him a terrorist and upended his life. Sandeep Singh Sidhu, a Superintendent with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), filed a lawsuit seeking $9 million in damages in the Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday, December 3, 2025.
The Core Allegations: A Targeted Disinformation Drive
The legal claim, prepared by his lawyer Jeffrey Kroeker, asserts that Indian officials recklessly and maliciously portrayed Sidhu as a "fugitive terrorist" on the Canadian government's payroll. Sidhu, a 20-year veteran of the CBSA known professionally as "Sunny," states he was singled out due to his common Sikh surname and his public-facing role in national security. The lawsuit contends he was used as an instrument in a propaganda effort to falsely accuse Canada of employing and supporting Khalistani extremists.
According to the filing, the ordeal began in October 2024 when several Indian news outlets broadcast explosive reports identifying Sidhu as a "dreaded terrorist" working as a CBSA superintendent. These reports, amplified across social media, claimed he was a fugitive wanted by Indian authorities for alleged links to banned groups and violent acts. The narrative quickly spiralled, leading to viral posts demanding his extradition or death, the doxxing of his personal details, and a barrage of direct death threats.
Personal and Professional Fallout
The sudden and intense scrutiny forced Sidhu, a British Columbia native who describes himself as non-practising and previously low-profile, into hiding. The lawsuit details severe emotional distress, leading to alcohol dependency and a subsequent voluntary admission to a rehab program at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital. Beyond the public vilification, Sidhu alleges his employer, the CBSA, failed in its duty of care.
Instead of offering protection, the agency initially dismissed the threats as a "non-work-related matter," the claim states. It further accuses the CBSA of subjecting him to intrusive background checks, demanding he waive privacy rights, and temporarily suspending him during an internal probe. That investigation ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing and he was reinstated. "The CBSA did nothing to help him and instead mocked the death threats against him," Kroeker's document alleges. The CBSA is named as a co-defendant in the suit for alleged negligence.
Legal Recourse and Official Responses
The lawsuit seeks significant damages for reputational destruction, psychological injury, and lost wages. An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for early 2026. In a statement to CBC News in November 2024, the CBSA confirmed Sidhu remained an employee but noted, "We have no evidence to support the allegations made against him." Indian authorities have consistently and strongly denied any involvement in disinformation campaigns targeting Canadian citizens.
This case emerges amidst a sensitive period in India-Canada diplomatic relations and highlights the severe real-world consequences of state-level misinformation and online hate targeted at individuals based on their ethnicity or religion.
