An Indian-origin man, Arunjit Singh Virk, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail after being caught with a loaded ‘ghost gun’ in a mall in Canada.
Virk had taken the loaded gun that did not have a serial quantity to Metro Town mall in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Other than the jail time period, 23-year-old Virk, has additionally been barred from proudly owning any firearms or ammunition for 10 years.
“Virk is prohibited from possessing any firearm, prohibited firearm, restricted firearm, crossbow, restricted weapon, ammunition and explosive substance for ten years”, dominated British Columbia (BC) provincial court docket Judge Reginald P Harris.
His arrest on March 28, 2021, occurred after a Metro Vancouver Transit police officer noticed him engaged in a suspected drug transaction on the Metrotown car parking zone in Burnaby.
He was sentenced in January this 12 months and his case information have not too long ago been made accessible.
Virk unexpectedly moved into the mall to evade the officer’s detection, the place police noticed him making clothes purchases and altering outfits to keep away from detection.
Upon exiting the mall and coming into a taxi, he was intercepted and arrested by police, who discovered a loaded Polymer 80 mannequin PF940CL semi-automatic handgun in his possession. The gun lacked a serial quantity, making it untraceable.
Born and raised in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, Canada, Virk’s upbringing was secure and neglect-free.
However, he started utilizing medication, together with Percocet, following his uncle’s dying when he was 15.
Virk confronted bullying at school and was expelled a number of instances earlier than finishing grade 12 via Queen Elizabeth Continuing Education at age 20, in response to the case data. His employment historical past consists of numerous jobs in building, and on the time of sentencing, he labored as an workplace assistant the place his mom works.
Virk started smoking marijuana and consuming alcohol in his early teenagers. At 17, he began utilizing oxycodone and, in the end, his drug use escalated and, to help him, his mother and father took him to India for remedy. Despite makes an attempt at rehabilitation, Virk struggled with drug use till May 2023.
He was recognized with an unspecified temper dysfunction and traits of an delinquent persona dysfunction and polysubstance use dysfunction.
While the protection advocated for a conditional sentence order of 18 to 24 months adopted by probation, the counsel of the Crown argued for a 36-month custodial sentence to prioritise denunciation and deterrence.
The choose, acknowledging Virk’s rehabilitation efforts and psychological well being challenges, deemed the possession of a loaded firearm in a public space as aggravating.
Despite an absence of prior convictions, Virk’s actions posed a danger to public security, resulting in the imposition of a custodial sentence.
The court docket additionally addressed letters advocating towards a jail sentence for Virk, elevating issues about their impartiality and the absence of information concerning the offence.
Ultimately, the choose emphasised the significance of balancing rehabilitation with the seriousness of the offence in figuring out Virk’s sentence.
Published By:
Girish Kumar Anshul
Published On:
Feb 7, 2024
Source: www.indiatoday.in
