Former Ottawa deputy chief charged with sexual assault

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A one-time senior command officer with the Ottawa Police Service, Uday Jaswal, has been charged with sexual assault by the province’s Special Investigations Unit.

Jaswal, who rose to become deputy chief in Ottawa, was an inspector at the time of the alleged offence.

In a news release Tuesday, SIU director Joseph Martino said he has reasonable grounds to believe that the former officer committed a criminal offence in 2011 against a woman.

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He said Jaswal was arrested by members of the SIU on Tuesday and later released with several conditions, including that he not communicate or go within 100 metres of the woman.

Jaswal was ordered to appear in court on July 18.

He is believed to be the highest-ranking Ottawa police officer ever to face such a serious charge in criminal court.

Jaswal’s lawyer, Ari Goldkind, said his client will vigorously defend against what he termed a false accusation, and will be seeking the earliest possible trial date.

“The Special Investigations Unit for Ontario has chosen to charge Mr. Jaswal with an allegation that is both opportunistic and factually implausible after a 15-month delay, and despite numerous requests for an update by counsel,” Goldkind said.

He insisted the SIU has “no objective evidence to support these allegations.”

“The public, once they hear what is actually being alleged, will be shocked that these spurious allegations received the SIU director’s seal of approval,” Golkind said. 

Jaswal resigned from the Ottawa Police Service in 2022, nearly two years into a suspension over sexual harassment allegations and just days ahead of an Ontario Civilian Police Commission hearing on the matter.

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His resignation led to that hearing being cancelled.

Jaswal had been facing three counts of discreditable conduct and three counts of insubordination under the Police Services Act for allegedly harassing two female Ottawa police officers and sexually harassing and assaulting a female civilian employee.

He had also been charged with two counts of discreditable conduct under the act stemming from his time as a deputy chief with the Durham Regional Police Service.

All eight charges were laid by the civilian oversight body for police officers in Ontario.

Jaswal was hired as a deputy chief in Durham in August 2016 after serving more than 20 years with Ottawa police, where he rose to the rank of superintendent. He returned to Ottawa in 2018, when the police services board hired him as a deputy chief.

He was then the first person of colour to be on the police executive, and he seemed destined to become a police chief in Ottawa or elsewhere.

“The board is confident that Uday reflects all of the necessary qualities to help lead one of the most respected police services in North America,” then Police Services Board Chair Eli El-Chantiry said at the time of Jaswal’s promotion in August 2018.

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The 25-year police veteran was suspended with pay in March 2020 due to the sexual harassment allegations. According to Ontario’s sunshine list, Jaswal was paid $261,635 in 2020.

Before the harassment allegations came to light, Jaswal was considered a potential candidate to replace outgoing Chief Charles Bordeleau, and once shared the job of acting chief in Ottawa.

None of the allegations against Jaswal have been tested in court.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said news of the SIU charge was “alarming.”

The incident predates Sutcliffe’s time as mayor and Jaswal had already resigned before Sutcliffe’s election in 2023.

“Obviously it’s very alarming and concerning,” Sutcliffe said when asked about the case after Tuesday’s city council meeting.

“It’s a police investigation so I don’t have a lot to say about it.

“I can just hope that the investigation leads to the right outcome. We have to continue to make sure that everyone who works for the City of Ottawa, whether you work for the police service or some other part of the city, is safe from violence in the workplace.”

— With files from Blair Crawford

Andrew Duffy is a National Newspaper Award-winning reporter and long-form feature writer based in Ottawa. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe

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