A lawyer from the Toronto area, Deepak Paradkar, facing allegations of involvement in advising the murder of a federal witness in an alleged international drug smuggling operation, will remain out on bail. Ontario’s highest court rejected the Crown’s attempt to reverse his release, following a request from the Attorney General of Canada to keep Paradkar detained until his extradition hearing. The appeal court allowed new evidence, including revised documents from American authorities, to be admitted but dismissed the Crown’s application for review, finding no errors in the previous decision by Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden.
Paradkar, along with other Canadians, was arrested last fall for extradition to the U.S. in connection with the pursuit of fugitive Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder accused of leading a drug empire. Wedding is alleged to have ordered multiple killings, including that of a potential witness in a narcotics case. Prosecutors claim that Paradkar advised Wedding on the murder of the witness and facilitated his connections with drug traffickers.
Paradkar was granted bail in December with strict conditions, including house arrest, GPS monitoring, and limited use of electronic devices under supervision. His wife acted as the primary surety, pledging $5 million jointly with Paradkar for his release. The Crown raised concerns about the scrutiny of Paradkar’s wife as a surety and discrepancies in their financial disclosures, including a lavish lifestyle inconsistent with their income.
The Appeal Court defended the lower court’s decision, stating that Paradkar and his wife provided explanations for their assets and income, addressing concerns raised by the Crown. The court emphasized that the focus was on Paradkar’s incentive to comply with bail conditions rather than his financial capacity to flee. Paradkar maintains his innocence and plans to vigorously defend himself against the charges in both the U.S. and Canada. His lawyer asserts that the case relies heavily on the testimony of a cooperating witness and lacks substantial evidence implicating Paradkar.