Court dismisses Crown bid to detain lawyer in wedding case

Ontario's Court of Appeal has rejected the Crown's attempt to detain Deepak Paradkar, a Toronto-area lawyer accused of advising the murder of a federal witness in an alleged international drug smuggling operation.

Paradkar was one of several Canadians arrested for extradition to the United States as part of a lengthy FBI investigation targeting former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, now accused of running an international drug empire. Wedding was taken into U.S. custody in January and is alleged to have ordered the killings of several people, including a witness who could testify against him in a narcotics case.

The Crown argued that Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden, who granted Paradkar bail in December, "speculated and drew inferences" not grounded in evidence. Prosecutors also raised concerns about the couple's lavish lifestyle—expensive family vacations, multiple luxury car leases, and a designer clothing insurance claim—which they said didn't align with their reported income.

The Appeal Court admitted new evidence submitted by both the Crown and the defence, including revised documents from American authorities. However, the court found no errors in Bawden's original decision to release Paradkar, saying the couple's testimony about their assets and income provided sufficient explanation for their lifestyle, even if the numbers didn't add up neatly.

Paradkar remains out on bail with conditions including house arrest, GPS monitoring, and restrictions on electronic device use. His wife is his primary surety, and the couple has jointly pledged $5 million for his release.