Apartment dispute gets nasty

A dispute over people moving out of a Dartmouth apartment boiled over into violence this past winter involving a Sikh man allegedly threatening to shoot his roommate.

Sehajpal Singh was living at an Alfred Street apartment with Harkirat Singh when things got ugly on Feb. 1.

“Both Sehajpal and Harkirat were home in the apartment and got into an argument about everyone moving out into their own units,” RCMP Det-const. Shaun Carvery said in a search warrant application.

“Harkirat became upset and began to punch Sehajpal numerous times in the chest.”

Harkirat Singh, who turned 32 that day, “yelled ‘I should shoot you,’ then retrieved a black gun case from the bedroom possibly containing a shotgun or a semi-automatic rifle,” said the detective.

‘CEREMONIAL SWORDS’

The birthday boy took the gun case and leaned it up against the wall, “while continuing to yell at Sehajpal,” Carvery said.

Harkirat Singh then “ran toward an area of the apartment where ceremonial swords are kept and Sehajpal fled the apartment; police secured the scene and arrested Harkirat.”

Nothing was taken from the apartment and police believed the firearms were still inside, said the detective.

Carvery checked Harkirat Singh’s name in a police database and “could not locate a valid firearms licence” for the man.

FIREARM PHOTOS

Another Mountie turned up two photos — one of Harkirat Singh at a firing range with a gun and the other of a shotgun in a black case with ammunition, said the detective.

“I believe that based on the fact that Harkirat stated that he should shoot Sehajpal then retrieved a gun case from the bedroom that he had intentions on using the firearm in an offence,” Carvery said. “By Harkirat punching Sehajpal he did commit the offence of assault.”

The detective convinced a justice of the peace to issue a search warrant for the apartment.

“Issuing this warrant is in the best interest of the administration of justice because a valid firearms licence could not be confirmed and due to the severity of the offence these items should be secured by police to prevent any future incidents,” Carvery said in information to obtain a warrant filed at Halifax provincial court.

RIFLE, AMMO SEIZED

Police seized ammunition, two boxes of shotgun shells, an M+M Inc. M10X 7.62 mm semi-automatic rifle and Harkirat Singh’s firearms licence from the apartment the same day.

Harkirat Singh is now facing charges of assault, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and using a firearm in the commission of an offence.

He is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court May 13 for election and/or plea.

Harkirat Singh does not have any prior convictions in Nova Scotia.