A 22-year-old student from Punjab is being held for alleged sexual abuse in Canada

An Indian youth, who came to the country as an international student, has been arrested in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in connection with multiple incidents of alleged sexual abuse.

The person arrested was identified as 22-year-old Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Brampton.

According to Peel Regional Police (PRP), Singh would lure the alleged victims into his vehicle, posing as a rideshare. The victims are also likely to be of Indian origin, as he spoke to them in Punjabi on Wednesday, according to a PRP press release.

According to police, three women were victims. The first incident occurred around 7 a.m. on November 8, when he allegedly approached a woman waiting at a bus stop in Brampton. Singh, who was driving a black four-door sedan, “posed as a taxi driver,” the statement said. He then drove her to a location in the town of Vaughan and allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Less than 45 minutes later, he approached another woman waiting at a bus stop in Brampton in the same manner. Singh then allegedly drove her to another area in the city before attacking her.

The same pattern was evident in the third instance, which occurred on November 16 at approximately 6:45 am. He allegedly again approached a woman waiting at a Brampton bus stop in another vehicle, also a four-door sedan, and then sexually assaulted her.

PRP investigators believe the same suspect was responsible for all three incidents.

“The suspect spoke Punjabi in all three incidents with the victims,” the statement added.

Singh faces multiple charges, including three counts of kidnapping, assault, assault with a weapon, assault by strangulation, robbery and two counts of uttering threats.

According to a local media report, Singh came to Canada as an international student in 2022.

Police continue to advise the public not to accept an unsolicited offer of transportation from someone they do not know, the release emphasizes.

“Thank you to the team of dedicated investigators who worked around the clock to make this arrest. We will continue to do everything we can to end gender-based and sexual violence and hold those responsible accountable,” said PRP Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.