BRAMPTON, SIKH

The Curious Case of Hitesh Bansal

⏱ Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes

Yo, if you’re from around Brampton, there’s a story that’s likely caught your attention recently. There’s been a string of extortion attempts against Punjabi businesses. It became a dark joke: if you had a G Wagon parked in your driveway, you could expect a call from some goons asking if they could ‘hold a dollar.’ Don’t comply? Expect a knock, or well, a few gunshots at your door to prove they mean business. Even local leaders and politicians weren’t spared, prompting the mayor to address the situation.

As she explained, it started in November and has been terrifying. South Asian business owners in British Columbia, Edmonton, the Peel region, and even the US were being contacted via WhatsApp with extortion attempts. Refusal led to shootings or arson at their homes or businesses. The Peel police have taken this very seriously, working with law enforcement agencies across the country. They announced the first major arrests recently.

Now, admittedly, many of those arrested were Punjabi, which isn’t something the community is proud of, but they’re now facing the courts. However, one charge made recently, while not necessarily linked with the previous arrests, made many Punjabis raise an eyebrow. This is the case of one Hitesh Bansal.

If you’re not Punjabi or Sikh, you might not see what the big deal is here. Hitesh is a predominantly Hindu name, but the picture shows him wearing a more traditional Sikh turban. While it’s not uncommon in India for some Hindus to wear a turban on certain occasions, for the most part, if you see someone in a turban like that, they’re Sikh.

For many, it still might not seem like a big deal, but there’s something noteworthy here. The turban style and color worn by Hitesh is commonly tied by devout Sikhs. Not only that, but he did a terrible job of tying it! It looks more like a prop quickly put together for an audition than something worn by a devout observer. A deep dive into Hitesh’s social media also shows he’s never been one to wear a turban in his day-to-day Instagram modeling career.

It also seems strange that Hitesh’s mugshot has him wearing one at all, since in the case of most Sikhs, the turban is often removed as a sign of respect. So why was Bansal pictured wearing one here? As one Redditor pointed out, Bansal’s look was off, and he oddly resembled the character from a logo of a popular local Indian food joint.

I know I’m just posing questions without offering answers, but I believe it succinctly covers the issue here. Hitesh, a common Hindu name, oddly dons a loose turban for his mugshot in a manner that suggests he’s never worn one before. Many Sikhs have suggested this has been done to defame the community’s image. Authorities believe a spate of extortions targeting Sikhs in Canada are being organized, in many cases from India, including by self-proclaimed Indian and Hindu nationalist gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

The timing of all this is very interesting, especially with the resurgence of the farmers’ protests in India. The original protests garnered so much support worldwide that it made Modi and his nationalist BJP look like absolute fools on the international stage. I can’t help but wonder if there’s some kind of connection here, to preemptively defame not only Punjabi farmers but also the images of Sikhs in Canada. But that would be pretty conspiratorial of me.

I couldn’t imagine a country like India, while openly assassinating political dissidents abroad, would stoop to such lows. Not that India, a country so petty that it got mad at a local culture show for highlighting Punjabi culture, would ever do that, would it?

If you made it this far, drop me a comment letting me know what you think. Am I pulling some mental gymnastics here, or does it feel a bit strange to you? Also, drop a like for the algorithm, and if you’re into these kinds of ramblings, consider subscribing. Until next time, peace.

View On:

updated_at 31-07-2025
Ai Disclosure: The above posts were transcribed using AI tools. Some language may not have been accurately transcribed.
Ai Header Image Prompt: An abstract digital painting with a neo-expressionist aesthetic. The central subject is a subtly obscured human figure, featuring a conspicuously ill-fitting and awkwardly tied turban, appearing more like a prop than authentic wear. The figure's form is integrated with and partially dissolved into a swirling vortex of glowing digital data streams, network patterns, and subtle glitch effects, reminiscent of encrypted communication and digital footprints. The background is a fragmented, blurred composition of abstract urban elements and indistinct South Asian architectural motifs, suggesting a sense of place but distorted by digital interference. Dramatic, volumetric shadows intermingle with vibrant, contrasting neon light emanating from the digital elements. The overall atmosphere is mysterious, unsettling, and highly symbolic of deception, manipulation, and hidden agendas. All visible human anatomy, especially hands and limbs, is naturally and correctly rendered, even within the stylized and abstract context. Ultra high detail, intricate textures, sharp focus on the central figure and digital patterns, rich color palette with deep blacks, muted grays, and electric blues/greens. Avoid a hyper-realistic AI look, emphasize painterly quality and intentional imperfection.