Editor’s Note:
Following publication, Juno News received a notice from lawyers representing Bhavnoor Singh Bedi and the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT), disputing aspects of this report.
Counsel says Portage College granted the credentials and maintained academic oversight, CIOT delivered the programs in Calgary, and Pyramid eServices was a separate recruitment agency with no role in academic delivery. Counsel also says Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada alone determines Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility and individual application outcomes.
They say similar refusals affected graduates of programs delivered through Campbell College in Edmonton. Juno did not establish that CIOT, Pyramid eServices, or their directors caused the refusals or guaranteed immigration outcomes.
The original article stated that Juno could not confirm the outcomes of the 2013 and 2017 police matters involving Bedi. Counsel says Bedi was discharged before trial in the 2013 matter and that the remaining accused were subsequently acquitted. Counsel says the 2017 matter was closed as “not admitted,” with no finding of wrongdoing.
Juno has not been able to independently review these court orders or closure reports supporting these statements.
Counsel says Bedi and his representatives did not receive requests for comment before publication. Juno’s records show that on August 5, it emailed the address listed on Pyramid eServices’ website seeking comment about its relationship with CIOT, the marketing of the programs, and advice given to students about PGWP eligibility.
On August 6, Juno emailed Saurabh Kumar Gupta of DSK Law using contact information obtained from a source who had received a cease-and-desist letter from Gupta on July 21. In that letter, Gupta identified himself as acting for Bedi. Juno asked about the outcomes of the 2013 and 2017 matters, applicable registrations and Bedi’s position on the current controversy. Neither email received a response before publication.
Original story:
Juno News has uncovered that the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT) in Calgary, the private college that partnered with Portage College to deliver diplomas to hundreds of Indian students, has two directors tied to Pyramid eServices, a Punjabi recruitment firm whose director was arrested during a 2013 police investigation into alleged student immigration fraud.
The same firm, Pyramid eServices, marketed the Portage-branded programs in India. Some students who completed those programs have since had previously approved Post-Graduation Work Permits cancelled by the federal government.
Pyramid eServices director Bhavnoor Singh Bedi was arrested during a 2013 police raid and was named in a separate case registered against the company in 2017.
