G
agandeep Pejatta, 56, who has an intellectual disability and post‑traumatic stress disorder, filed a claim in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench on Oct. 27. He accuses Charanjit Uppal, his wife Ravinder Uppal, their son Sundeep Uppal and real‑estate broker Avinash Chander of exploiting him through property deals in Canada and India, leaving him short of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    Pejatta moved from Brampton, Ontario, to Winnipeg in late 2021 after a divorce. He had lived with the Uppal family—long‑time friends of his mother—who helped him settle in. The lawsuit says the Uppals arranged two mortgages in Pejatta’s name: one for a house on Pacific Avenue West (2022) and another for a second house on Alexander Avenue West. Pejatta claims he lacked the mental capacity to understand the contracts, yet the Uppals and broker Chander secured the loans and the properties were rented out. The rental income, the suit alleges, never covered the mortgages.

    The suit also alleges that the Uppals persuaded Pejatta to withdraw more than $500,000 from his accounts, depositing the money into their own accounts. Pejatta says he was told the withdrawals were for his benefit, but the funds were used to buy a condominium on Cumberland Avenue that was never transferred to his name. He claims the Uppals and Chander breached their duties of care and professional conduct.

    In addition to the mortgage and withdrawal allegations, Pejatta says he worked part‑time as a security guard at a banquet hall opened by the Uppals in March 2023. He was not paid for about 100 events, and he is owed roughly $9,600. He says the work was presented as a family favor rather than employment.

    Pejatta’s mother sent him money to help with his relocation until November 2023, but she stopped checking on him in early 2022 because of cancer treatment and a stroke. She died in February 2024. Before her death, she told Pejatta’s sister Sundeep that the proceeds from a co‑owned property in India should go entirely to Pejatta. The Uppals, with Chander’s help, sold the property for $425,000 on Dec. 24, 2024. The lawsuit claims that the sale proceeds were not properly documented or distributed; Pejatta received only $200,855, while the rest was retained by the Uppals and Chander. The suit also accuses the Uppals of fraudulently transferring two other properties worth $50,000 to Charanjit.

    The defendants deny all allegations. Charanjit says he never observed any cognitive limitations in Pejatta and that Pejatta worked various jobs, including truck driving, and handled his own banking. He denies that Pejatta has an intellectual disability and says the idea to buy the first house came from Pejatta’s mother. Ravinder did not respond to requests for comment, and her lawyer, who also represents Charanjit, Sundeep and Chander, declined to comment on the suit.

    A motion to stay the proceedings was filed by the defendants’ lawyer on Dec. 11, arguing that Pejatta should be represented by a litigation guardian if he lacks cognitive capacity. The motion requests the court to direct that the case proceed only with a guardian. An affidavit accompanying the motion states that Charanjit helped Pejatta settle in Winnipeg at his mother’s request and that he did not observe any cognitive limitations.

    Pejatta’s lawsuit seeks $473,474 in damages from Charanjit for the missing funds, $370,702 from Chander for the mortgage obligations, $3,616 from Sundeep Uppal and $9,000 from Ravinder. He also seeks compensation for unpaid wages and the loss of his property rights.

    The case highlights the alleged exploitation of a vulnerable individual through real‑estate transactions and financial withdrawals, the alleged failure of a licensed broker to uphold professional duties, and the dispute over the distribution of proceeds from an overseas property sale. The outcome will depend on whether the court finds Pejatta’s intellectual disability and whether the defendants can prove that all transactions were conducted with his informed consent.