A Surrey-based lawyer has expressed remorse and agreed to pay a $5,000 fine to the Law Society of BC after deceiving a Service Canada program officer on behalf of his client, who had applied for immigration status.
Ravneet Singh Rakhra was less than a year into his career as a lawyer when, on Feb. 12, 2019, he fed his client’s translator (also the client’s brother) answers to questions during an interview with Service Canada.
“During the interview, the interviewer asked the client questions relating to the Application. The Lawyer emailed the client’s brother with answers to six of the interviewer’s questions. One or both of the client or his brother then verbally gave the emailed answers to the interviewer,” stated a society consent agreement on June 20.
The society deemed the actions to be professional misconduct.
At the time, Rakhra was working for M. Joomratty Law Corporation, whose lead counsel was Mohammud Massood Joomratty.
Last year Joomratty agreed to a 12-year suspension from practicing law in British Columbia after misappropriating $450,000 from a prospective immigrant. The society stated Joomratty committed a number of violations related to immigrant clients.
The society noted Rakhra had no history of misconduct, took responsibility for his actions and “is committed to ensuring that this type of conduct does not arise in his practice again.”
Rakhra “now practices at a different law firm with the benefit of guidance and mentorship.”
