By Mata Press Service

Veteran Vancouver police officer Kalwinder “Kal” Dosanjh has broken his silence over the criminal charges against him, saying he intends to defend himself fully and let the evidence speak for itself.

“This has been a difficult time for me and my family, and we are deeply grateful for the support we have received from friends, family and members of the community,” Dosanjh said in a statement.

“I deny the allegations against me and I look forward to defending myself fully in court. I have complete confidence in my legal counsel and in the Canadian justice system, and I will allow the evidence and the facts to speak for themselves.”

His lawyer, Joven Narwal, KC, said Dosanjh “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and stressed that the presumption of innocence must be respected regardless of the attention surrounding the case.

Dosanjh, a 26-year member of the Vancouver Police Department, was arrested Sept. 3 following a lengthy investigation conducted by VPD investigators.

He faces four counts of fraud over $5,000, four counts of theft over $5,000 and one count of breach of trust. Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said the alleged conduct occurred between 2017 and 2025.

Police say 19 alleged victims have been identified so far and that the investigation involves alleged losses of more than $3 million.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

For years, Dosanjh has been one of the more visible police and anti-gang figures in Metro Vancouver’s South Asian community.

He founded KidsPlay Youth Foundation, a youth organization built around sports, mentorship and education programs aimed at steering young people away from gangs, drugs and violence.

“For nearly three decades, Kal Dosanjh has served this province, in uniform and in the community,” Narwal said.

“Outside policing, he has devoted thousands of hours to young people across British Columbia, helping steer them away from drugs, gangs and violence through sport, mentorship and education.”

That work made Dosanjh a familiar figure at youth programs, community events and public discussions about gangs, crime prevention and the recruitment of young people into organized crime.

His work has also drawn recognition from the provincial government.

In 2020, Dosanjh received a B.C. Breaking Barriers Award, part of the province’s Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations for contributions to inclusion and fighting racism.

That public profile has added another dimension to a case Chief Rai described as striking “at the heart of the public trust.”

Rai said VPD received information from multiple alleged victims in December 2023 and then established a dedicated investigative team. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner was notified at the outset, he said.

Dosanjh’s lawyer is now questioning why the criminal investigation involving a long-serving Vancouver officer was conducted by his own police department rather than being referred to an outside agency.

“Last week, the institution Mr. Dosanjh has served for his entire professional life revealed that it had been investigating him through its own investigators,” Narwal said.

“That raises legitimate concerns about investigative independence, objectivity and the safeguards used when a police department investigates one of its own members, particularly in a case the department itself has framed as a matter of public trust.”

Narwal said those issues can now be tested before the courts.

“This matter now moves into an open and independent court process where the evidence, the allegations and the conduct of the investigation can be properly tested,” he said.

Narwal is one of Canada’s better-known criminal and regulatory defence lawyers.

Canadian Lawyer magazine named him among Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2024, while Benchmark Litigation has recognized him for his work in white-collar crime and enforcement.

His involvement puts a high-profile defence lawyer into what is already shaping up as one of the more closely watched cases involving a serving Vancouver police officer in recent years.

VPD says it established a dedicated investigative team and notified the police complaints commissioner. Narwal’s position is that the court process will now provide an independent forum in which the evidence and the conduct of that investigation can be examined.

Rai has suspended Dosanjh and recommended that the Vancouver Police Board suspend him without pay while the criminal case and any related Police Act proceedings continue.

Dosanjh said he will make no further public comment for now.

“I respectfully ask the media and the public to allow the legal process to take its course.”