A senior Canadian official has sued the Indian government for ‘orchestrating a malicious disinformation drive that upended his life and career’. Sandeep ‘Sunny’ Singh Sidhu had first come under scrutiny last October after media reports dubbed him a “dreaded terrorist” on the Canadian government payroll. The British Columbia resident was also temporarily reassigned from his frontline job as the Canada Border Services Agency launched an inquiry. Indian officials have repeatedly denied involvement in any disinformation campaigns targeting Canadians.
He has now filed a $9 million lawsuit against the Indian government — with the CBSA named as a co-defendant for alleged negligence. The allegations were laid down before the Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday. An initial hearing is set for early 2026.
What are the charges?
According to an Indian Express report, the suit accuses Indian authorities of recklessly portraying Sunny as a fugitive terrorist to sow discord. It also claimed that the 20-year CBSA employee was singled out because of his common Sikh surname and public-facing role in national security.
The lawsuit also blames his employers for failing to provide an adequate response or protect Sunny. It contends that the CBSA dismissed the threats as a “non-work-related matter” and subjected him to intrusive background checks — including calls to waive privacy rights. He was also suspended during the probe that ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing and led to reinstatement. Sunny has sought damages for reputational harm, lost wages, and psychological injury.
“The CBSA did nothing to help him and instead mocked the death threats against him,” his lawyer Jeffrey Kroeker wrote in the claim.
What happened to Sunny last year?
The lawsuit claims that his ordeal began in October 2024 after Indian news outlets shared claims that Sidhu was a terrorist. He was described as a fugitive wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism links — including promotion of banned groups and involvement in violent acts. Viral posts had amplified the outrage as they demanded his extradition and called for punitive action. The cover of anonymity also led to death threats and eventually his personal details were doxxed.
Sidhu was born and raised in British Columbia and is reportedly not a practising Sikh. He had previously kept a low profile and only made brief appearances on the reality TV series Border Security: Canada’s Front Line. The lawsuit details how the “tidal wave of aggressive misinformation” drove him to alcohol dependency, culminating in a voluntary admission to a rehabilitation program at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital. The sudden scrutiny had also forced him into hiding and triggered severe emotional distress
