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Kelowna Sandher Fruit Packers file lawsuit against 'defamatory' blogger

The family that owns and operates Sandher Fruit Packers, have filed a civil suit against the man who is a behind a 'defamatory' blog called Gangsterism Out
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Sandher Fruit Packers

The family that owns and operates Sandher Fruit Packers Ltd., have filed a civil claim in the Supreme Court of BC against the man who is behind what they call "a campaign of defamation and harassment," that has spanned months. 

Bir Singh Sandher, Gurtaj Singh Sandher, and Prabtaj Singh Sandher are the suit's plaintiffs and Daryl Grant MacAskill is named as the sole defendant. 

MacAskill, who is also known by the alias 'Ace Ventura,' operates a blog called 'Gangsterism Out'. A section of the online blog is dedicated to the Sandher family and their fruit-packing business.

The suit claims that MacAskill has targeted the Sandher family, "without apparent reason," since March 2024.

Blog posts on Gangsterism Out and emails circulated by MacAskill contain allegations that the Sandhers are "terrorists, drug dealers, murderers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and serial polluters," states the lawsuit.

"The posts and emails are rife with racist, homophobic, threatening, menacing and obscene language and accusations that have no basis in reality and which are clearly intended to abuse and demean."

In addition to the lawsuit – in which the Sandhers are requesting payment for damages caused by the defamation and emotional damage, he has caused – the family has also filed an application for an injunction to restrain MacAskill from "carrying out his campaign of defamation and harassment against the Plaintiffs," until a decision is made on the case. 

"[MacAskill's] baseless attacks have profoundly affected the [Sandhers], including with respect to their mental well-being, reputations in the community, and the safety of the plaintiffs and the employees of their family-operated agricultural business," states the civil claim.

The suit says that the Sandhers have demanded that MacAskill cease and desist and stop publishing defamatory statements about the family, but he has refused to comply. 

In the past decade 'Gangsterism Out' has published blog posts about other people and businesses and as a result, MacAskill has been named as the defendant in numerous lawsuits and has been subject to multiple injunctions ordered by the Supreme Court of BC.

 



Jacqueline Gelineau

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