Indian Man with Intellectual Disability Sues Canadian Family for $1 Million Exploitation

A 56-year-old Indian national with an intellectual disability has filed a lawsuit against a Winnipeg family and a real estate broker, alleging they exploited his condition to push him into damaging property deals, costing him about $1 million. Gagandeep Pejatta, the plaintiff, filed his statement of claim in the Manitoba Court in October, accusing three members of the Uppal family and real estate broker Avinash Chander of exploiting his disability to control his finances and leave him responsible for heavy debts.

Pejatta, diagnosed with an intellectual disability and post-traumatic stress disorder, moved from Brampton, Ontario, to Winnipeg in 2021 after a divorce. His mother encouraged him to move and trusted the Uppal family, who were long-time family friends, to look after him. “I felt like these are gonna be good people,” Pejatta said. The claim states there was a “clear understanding” that Pejatta required special assistance and could not manage complex financial matters on his own due to his disability.

However, the Uppals and Chander allegedly arranged for mortgages to be taken out in Pejatta’s name to buy two properties in Winnipeg in 2022. Pejatta says he did not understand the mortgage agreements or the risks involved. “I was getting confused there, because it was above my knowledge base,” he told CBC. The properties were rented out, but the rental income did not cover the mortgage payments, leaving Pejatta with growing debt.

The lawsuit accuses Chander of failing to recognize Pejatta’s limited mental capacity and breaching his professional duty as a licensed real estate broker. Chander denies the claim and says he does not believe Pejatta has an intellectual disability. The case also centres on the sale of property in India. Before her death in February 2024, Pejatta’s mother told his sister that the full proceeds from the sale of a jointly owned Indian property should go to him. His sister, Sundeep Pejatta, granted Charanjit Uppal power of attorney to help manage the sale. “My mom trusted these people,” she said. “I just assumed they were like family.”

The property was sold in December 2024 for $425,000. The lawsuit alleges that two additional properties were fraudulently transferred to Charanjit Uppal and that Pejatta received only $200,855 from the sale. The rest of the money was kept by Uppal, Chander, and associates in India, according to the claim. Both Uppal and Chander deny any wrongdoing. Pejatta also alleges he was persuaded to withdraw more than $500,000 from his bank accounts over several years, with the money deposited into Uppal family accounts. “I gave him the money because I loved him,” he said.

Further claims include unpaid wages for work at a banquet hall owned by the Uppals and an alleged attempt to involve Pejatta in a condominium purchase that never went through. The defendants deny exploiting Pejatta and have asked the court to pause the case until a litigation guardian is appointed. Pejatta is now left with little money and mounting debt, and says his life in Winnipeg has fallen apart. “I don't know how to belong,” he said. “Where do I go?”