A Calgary courtroom became the focal point this week as prosecutors began presenting evidence to decide whether a man will face a murder trial for the alleged poisoning death of a Chestermere teenager.
Preliminary Inquiry Launched in Fatal Poisoning
On Monday, January 12, 2026, Crown prosecutors Britta Kristensen and Aaron Rankin commenced a preliminary inquiry for Mohit Sandhu, 24, of Conrich. The hearing, held before Justice Brandy Shaw at the Calgary Courts Centre, will determine if there is sufficient evidence for Sandhu to stand trial for first-degree murder.
He is accused in the death of 18-year-old Sahil Grewal, who died three days after consuming what RCMP described as fentanyl-laced cough syrup on April 3, 2020.
Complex Web of Charges and a Publication Ban
In a related but separate allegation, Sandhu is also charged with the attempted murder of Jaskarat Singh Sidhu on the same date in 2020. Notably, Sidhu had not yet been charged for his role in a separate double homicide that occurred exactly one year earlier, on April 3, 2019. Sidhu and Prabhjyot Bhatti were later convicted in December 2024 for the ambush killings of Jasdeep Singh and Japneet Mahil outside a northeast Calgary restaurant.
Before testimony began, defence counsel Kristofer Advent successfully requested a publication ban on the evidence presented during the preliminary inquiry. The Crown expects to call at least seven witnesses over the scheduled seven-day hearing, which may extend to an eighth day.
Additional Serious Charges Pending
Sandhu, who was charged by RCMP on July 7 of last year and remains in custody, faces further unrelated allegations. He is implicated in the alleged kidnapping of a British Columbia man, Hamza Yassin, from a Calgary Airbnb. Authorities claim the kidnapping was a ransom attempt related to the loss of $250,000 worth of drugs and contraband in Whitehorse.
For those charges—conspiracy to kidnap, extortion with a firearm, and robbery with a firearm—a verdict is expected later this week. The outcome of the preliminary inquiry in the poisoning death will dictate the next steps in that murder case, keeping the Calgary justice system focused on this complex series of alleged crimes.
