Canadian cop suspended for attending pro-Khalistan protest outside Hindu temple
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Ottawa (PTI): A Canadian police officer has been suspended for participating in a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, according to a media report.
On Sunday, protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with people at the Hindu temple and disrupted a consular event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate.
There were unverified videos circulating on social media about the protest. The videos appeared to show demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Peel Police is "aware of a video circulating on social media which shows an off-duty Peel Police officer involved in a demonstration," said Media Relations Officer Richard Chin in an email to CBC News.
"This officer has since been suspended in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act," he said.
"We are investigating the circumstances in totality depicted in the video and are unable to provide further information until such time that this investigation is complete."
Peel police previously said three people have been charged after violence erupted as Indian consular officials visited the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple Sunday.
Videos circulating on social media show demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, the CBC report added.
Later in the day, demonstrators made their way to the Westwood Mall in neighbouring Mississauga, according to the World Sikh Organisation of Canada.
A short time after, a third protest was held outside the Malton gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship on Airport Road in Mississauga, the report added.
"Although these demonstrations occurred at three different locations, they appear to be related to one another. Several incidents between protestors and worshippers broke out," police said in a news release.
India on Monday condemned the attack on the temple with an expectation that those indulging in violence "will be prosecuted".
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that New Delhi remains "deeply concerned" about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.
"We condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario. We call on the government of Canada to ensure that all places of worship are protected from such attacks," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was quoted as saying in the statement.
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Gill, Mandhana win top BCCI awards
New Delhi (PTI): Prolific batters Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named the Best International Cricketers (Men's and Women's) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 here on Sunday, recognising their outstanding performances in the 2024–2025 season.
Gill won the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, while Mandhana received the award for the fifth time.
For Gill, it was his second Cricketer of the Year award after first winning it in 2023.
Former stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj were honoured with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honour, recognising their outstanding service to Indian cricket.
India's five trophy-winning sides (2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, 2025 U-19 Women's World Cup, 2026 Men's U-19 World Cup, and 2026 T20 World Cup) were honoured as well on the occasion.
Gill enjoyed a stellar 2025 and established himself as one of the team's most dependable batters in the longer formats.
On the tour of England, skipper Gill led from the front in the five-Test series, finishing as the top run-getter with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a top score of 269.
Gill also played a pivotal role in India's Champions Trophy triumph last year, having entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked ODI batter in the world. He made an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in India's opening match, and finished the tournament with 188 runs.
Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, the most by any woman in a calendar year. In doing so, Mandhana became the first batter in women's ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
Mandhana also made handsome contributions to India's maiden Women's World Cup title triumph, aggregating 434 runs in nine matches to end as the tournament as India's leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall.
Before the World Cup, the left-hander Mandhana smashed a 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi to register the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, surpassing Virat Kohli's 52-ball effort.
Shafali Varma (Best Woman Cricketer Senior Domestic One-Day), Ira Jadhav (Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic), Harsh Dubey (Best All Rounder in the Ranji Trophy), and Ayush Mhatre (Best All Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions) too won awards for their strong performances across the 2024-25 domestic season.
