A COVID-denier accused of violating the Quarantine Act after returning from a Flat Earth conference last year has had his lawsuit against the B.C. government and New Westminster Police Department dismissed.
Makhan B次元官网网址淢akB次元官网网址� Singh Parhar of New Westminster, 47, was charged with three counts under section 71 of the Quarantine Act for allegedly breaking his mandatory 14-day self-isolation on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov.2, 2020.
According to posts on his Facebook page, Parhar was in the United States to attend an event called Flatoberfest 2020 in Greenville, South Carolina on Oct. 24. The event, which is described on its website as B次元官网网址渁n interactive conference for alternative cosmology enthusiasts,B次元官网网址� was attended by B次元官网网址渃lose to 400 peopleB次元官网网址� according to a video posted to ParharB次元官网网址檚 Facebook page.
New Westminster police arrested Parhar on Nov. 2, alleging that, despite being reminded of federal legislation requiring travelers to self-isolate under the Quarantine Act and receiving a violation ticket, Parhar refused to comply and continued leaving his residence.
A video shot at an anti-mask rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Nov. 1 and shows him speaking to the crowd about his recent trip and his refusal to sign a B次元官网网址渜uarantineB次元官网网址� form at customs or abide by orders to self-isolate.
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After several court appearances in the months since, his trial is now scheduled to begin July 29, 2021.
In his suit, Parhar B次元官网网址� who identified himself as B次元官网网址渋:man:Mak of the Parhar familyB次元官网网址� in his notice of civil claim B次元官网网址� accused Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix, Attorney General David Eby, NWPD Chief Constable Dave Jansen and Crown prosecutor Adrienne Switzer of trespass, malfeasance, extortion, terrorism, kidnapping and fraud, and challenged the jurisdiction of the courts.
Parhar said he had been B次元官网网址渉armed by being arrested, kidnapped and locked up for four daysB次元官网网址� despite not having harmed anyone, and wanted his case heard in B次元官网网址淧arhar Court,B次元官网网址� a B次元官网网址渃ommon lawB次元官网网址� court where he would act as B次元官网网址減rosecutor.B次元官网网址�
In essence, Parhar claimed that neither the Quarantine Act nor the provincial courtB次元官网网址檚 authority applied to him as he had not expressly consented to either B次元官网网址渃ontract.B次元官网网址�
Parhar indicated he filed his proceeding in court because he needed access to a courthouse, a courtroom and a judge in order to B次元官网网址渙pen upB次元官网网址� the Parhar Court.
In his , Justice Murray B. Blok dismissed ParharB次元官网网址檚 suit, calling it B次元官网网址減atently absurd and nonsensical,B次元官网网址� adding B次元官网网址渋t is difficult to understand how anyone could come to believe any of its concepts.B次元官网网址�
Blok said he is not without sympathy for Parhar.
B次元官网网址淗e spent four days in jail, evidently the result of alleged breaches of the Quarantine Act, and it appears this occurred because someone convinced him, or he convinced himself, that statute law does not apply to him,B次元官网网址� Blok wrote. B次元官网网址淚t was a hard way to learn that laws do not work on an B次元官网网址榦pt-inB次元官网网址� basis.
B次元官网网址淚n any event, the plaintiff still has the opportunity to challenge the Quarantine Act offences that have been alleged against him, which hopefully he will do on more conventional grounds.B次元官网网址�
Blok ordered Parhar pay the defendantsB次元官网网址� court costs in the amount of $750.
Parhar, who previously owned and ran Bikram Yoga Delta on Scott Road, had his business licence suspended by City of Delta bylaw inspectors in March of 2020 after he refused to voluntarily cancel classes at the hot yoga studio in spite of public health orders issued by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Parhar erroneously claimed in an email to clients that the novel coronavirus B次元官网网址渃annot survive in the heatB次元官网网址� in the studio. His claims made the rounds on social media, sparking outrage among many North Delta residents and numerous complaints to the cityB次元官网网址檚 bylaw enforcement department.
The business has since closed permanently.
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