Extortion suspects and ex-convict active in Brampton municipal election
Two men charged in separate extortion cases and a former U.S.-convicted drug trafficker are backing candidates in Brampton's municipal race, drawing concern from the police chief and mayor.
Criminal figures back candidates in Brampton's 2025 municipal race
Two individuals facing extortion charges and a man who served prison time in the United States on drug-trafficking convictions have inserted themselves into Brampton's municipal election campaign, Toronto Sun Crime reports — prompting public statements of concern from both the city's police chief and its sitting mayor.
Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah addressed the matter directly at a news conference last week, noting that people charged in a recent extortion investigation are openly campaigning for local candidates.
"We're equally as frustrated. The mayor and I were talking about one of our extortion announcements earlier this year and some of those charged in it," Duraiappah said. "They're actually, you know, out very publicly helping with people's municipal campaign elections, which is very frustrating."
Two extortion accused back comeback bid by former councillor
The chief identified Dupinderdeep Cheema and Tejinder Tatla as the individuals in question. Both are supporting former councillor Gurpreet Dhillon, who is attempting to return to office after losing the 2022 election.
Cheema was arrested in the summer of 2024 and charged with extortion, criminal harassment, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, and failure to comply. Police allege that Cheema and associates ran a violent extortion ring targeting residents and businesses in Brampton's South Asian community.
Tatla was arrested later that same year in a separate investigation. Police allege he made threats against a business owner and that family, and officers reportedly seized three firearms from his home. He faces charges of extortion and unsafe storage of firearms.
Neither set of charges has been tested in court. Both men were released pending trial and have since appeared at campaign events alongside Dhillon, where photographs document their presence.
Dhillon's own record adds a further layer of complexity to the race. He served as a city councillor from 2014 until the 2022 election, which he lost following a sexual harassment allegation stemming from an official city trip to Türkiye in 2019. Council suspended him for 90 days while an investigation was conducted. Brampton's Integrity Commissioner subsequently found that Dhillon had engaged in "unnecessary, unwelcome, and unwanted sexual touching" of the woman; an audio recording of the incident indicated she said "no" 74 times in under three minutes. Dhillon has maintained his innocence throughout. A civil lawsuit filed by the woman was later settled out of court.
Mayor Brown raises concerns over criminality and police oversight
Mayor Patrick Brown, currently seeking a third term, described the situation as alarming — and linked it explicitly to questions of governance.
"Enhancing my concern over criminality trying to influence our municipal election campaign is that a man charged of recently terrorizing our community through brazen extortions is now working on a campaign for Regional Councillor," Brown said. "What input do they expect at the regional council table from these candidates, that if successful, will oversee the police budget?"
Brown urged residents to research both the candidates and the people supporting them.
Ex-convict backs Brown's main rival
The mayor's call for scrutiny, however, cuts in more than one direction. One of Brown's primary opponents, Prabh Gill, is being backed by Avi Dhaliwal. Court records show that in 2006, Dhaliwal was subject to extradition proceedings tied to cross-border drug-trafficking charges. He was extradited to the United States in 2007 and released in 2010 after completing his sentence. Dhaliwal now describes himself on social media as a business leader and community advocate.
Supporters of Brown's campaign have accused Gill of accepting backing from individuals they characterize as soft on crime. Those aligned with Gill have not been quoted responding to those specific accusations in the available reporting.
Voters choose Monday
Brampton residents head to the polls on Monday. The presence of criminally charged individuals and a former convict at the margins of the race has drawn an unusual level of attention from law enforcement leadership — a sign of how contentious local politics in the city have become. The question of who is influencing candidates, and what those candidates might in turn do with oversight of the police budget, is running beneath the surface of what is otherwise a local council race.
Source: Toronto Sun Crime