ONTARIO — Two Ontario Sikh temples have become involved in a widening series of legal disputes surrounding former Liberal MP and lawyer Rajvinder Grewal, with a civil lawsuit seeking the repayment of more than $13 million in loans reportedly secured against properties associated with the two gurdwaras.The lawsuit, filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, names Sikh Spiritual Centre Toronto (SSCT) and Nanaksar Thath Ishar Darbar as defendants. The case concerns loans that were obtained using temple properties as collateral.
According to court documents reported by The Canada Nation, the plaintiffs are SSMT Management Inc. and Oculus Mortgage GP Inc., companies associated with businessman Jason A. Waxman.The legal action is part of a much broader series of civil disputes involving Grewal, his former law firm RSG Law Professional Corporation and people connected with the firm. The combined claims in those cases reportedly exceed $200 million, although the allegations in the various proceedings have not been proven in court.
The court filing reportedly says that SSMT extended a $10-million loan on April 25, 2025, secured against property belonging to Sikh Spiritual Centre Toronto.The arrangement was subsequently expanded to a $15-million commitment, with the second portion intended to be registered against the Nanaksar gurdwara property in Brampton.The reported interest rates were substantial, reaching as high as 15% during the first six months and 24% thereafter, according to the court filing.The lawsuit alleges that paperwork relating to the second charge on the Brampton property was not properly completed by RSG Law. The lender argues that this created uncertainty over the security for the loan.
Court records reportedly identify Amarjit Singh Deol, president of both Nanaksar and Sikh Spiritual Centre Toronto, as a personal guarantor of the loans.Gurmail Singh Nirman, identified as a treasurer and board member of SSCT, is also listed as a guarantor.Former MP Rajvinder Grewal is likewise identified as a personal guarantor, although federal charity records reportedly do not list him as a board member of either gurdwara.
The legal dispute has already resulted in an interim court order concerning the Brampton property.According to the report, Ontario Superior Court Justice Frederick L. Myers issued a preliminary ruling on September 11 preventing the property from being sold or further encumbered until a hearing scheduled for January.The order does not determine the ultimate merits of the lawsuit.
The court proceedings also bring attention to other financial transactions involving RSG Law and Sikh religious institutions.Records cited in proceedings before the Law Society of Ontario reportedly show several payments from an RSG Law trust account to Sikh Spiritual Centre Toronto, including two payments of $250,000.Another $250,000 payment was reportedly made to Guru Nanak Darbar, the commonly used name for the Brampton gurdwara.In a separate matter involving an alleged cheque-fraud scheme, court records reportedly trace another $250,000 payment to Sikh Spiritual Centre Toronto through RSG Law.
The allegations surrounding those transactions are also part of ongoing legal proceedings and have not been finally determined by a court.Grewal facing wider legal and professional challengesThe dispute involving the gurdwaras is only one part of a broader collection of legal proceedings involving Grewal and individuals associated with RSG Law.The Law Society of Ontario has taken disciplinary action involving Grewal, and he has agreed to an undertaking not to practise law while the proceedings continue. A procedural hearing related to the Law Society’s investigation is scheduled for January 2027, according to the report.
Grewal’s lawyer, Simon Bieber, reportedly said in an email that Grewal understood the matter involving the gurdwaras to have been resolved. However, counsel for SSMT disputed that characterization, saying the matter had not been resolved.The lawsuit puts the financial arrangements involving the two Sikh institutions under judicial scrutiny while also highlighting the complicated network of lending, property and legal relationships surrounding Grewal and RSG Law.The allegations in the civil proceedings remain allegations unless and until established through the court process.The case will now proceed through the Ontario court system, with the January hearing expected to provide further direction on the dispute involving the Brampton property and the outstanding financial claims.
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