Gurdaspur: The family of Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old truck driver from Gurdaspur, Punjab, who was arrested in connection with a deadly eight-vehicle crash in Ontario, California, has denied allegations that he was under the influence of drugs. The tragic collision left three people dead and four others injured.
Jashanpreet, a native of Puranashala village near Gurdaspur, has been charged in the US with gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs, and causing bodily injury. His parents, Ravinder Singh and Jasveer Kaur, have asserted that their son is a baptised Sikh and had never consumed intoxicants. The family has appealed to the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take up the matter with the Indian Consulate General in California.
Ravinder Singh, who drives a local school bus for a living, said his son regularly participated in nagar kirtans and often dressed as one of the Panj Pyaras during religious processions. “He was a deeply religious boy, far from drugs or alcohol. The toxicology report is false, and this allegation is causing us immense pain,” he said, extending condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash.
Jashanpreet’s mother, Jasveer Kaur, said, “We have full faith that the Akal Takht and SGPC will ensure justice. Our son has been wrongly accused.” The family revealed they had mortgaged their home and paid ₹40 lakh to a travel agent to send Jashanpreet abroad for a better future.
Jashanpreet had reportedly reached the US in November 2022 by crossing through its southern border. He was initially detained by border patrol officials but later released under a US policy allowing certain undocumented migrants to remain free pending deportation hearings.
The family now awaits diplomatic and legal intervention to clear Jashanpreet’s name from the drug charges that, they say, “do not align with his Sikh faith and disciplined lifestyle.”
