Deputy police chief faces new allegation
Second complainant’s accusation follows police commission charges in March
Ottawa police Deputy Chief Uday Jaswal, already suspended over accusations that he sexually harassed a female police employee and assaulted her, now faces a fresh allegation involving another complainant.
Jaswal was first charged with insubordination and two counts of discreditable conduct by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission on March 13.
Last week the commission added a new allegation, though details are not yet public.
“I can confirm that,” his lawyer, Ari Goldkind, said in an email to the Citizen. He added: “We have no comment today but will have plenty to say at the appropriate time.”
The allegation comes at the end of a week in which police officially launched a new directorate to deal with workplace harassment, discrimination and ethics.
The police service has faced a series of allegations of poor conduct recently, including three officers and three civilians charged by the RCMP with selling information to tow truck operators, a racist meme that circulated about officers of colour, and an officer suspended last week for allegedly filming and mocking mentally ill women in his custody and circulating the videos among other officers.
Jaswal has been suspended with pay since March.
The original allegations against him were made by an Ottawa police civilian employee in an Ontario human rights complaint filed in August 2019. The woman alleged that Jaswal targeted her as easy prey after learning she had been a sexual assault victim and that he made repeated unwanted sexual advances. When she turned down those advances, the woman alleges, Jaswal sabotaged her attempts to become a police officer. The woman also alleges he touched her during a colleague’s retirement party in January of this year.
Jaswal has defended himself against the allegations, saying in his response to the complaint that he did have a romantic interest in the woman, but never sexually harassed her or attempted to thwart her effort to become a police officer. Any touching that was unwanted was unintentional and apologized for, Jaswal said. He also said he was the victim of an extortion attempt by the husband of his accuser, who, Jaswal alleged, threatened to expose text messages between the deputy chief and his wife if she wasn’t hired as a police officer.
He is further charged with a count of discreditable conduct for “having non-consensual contact with her in the stomach and rib area at a police social function.” The OCPC alleges that Jaswal assaulted the woman and that behaviour is likely to bring discredit to the police service.
None of the allegations against Jaswal has been tested.
We have no comment today but will have plenty to say at the appropriate time.