Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi takes 'necessary' legal action against 3 people

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is taking legal action against three people he alleges spread inflammatory and libelous allegations about him.

A Friday news release from Sohi's lawyer, Avnish Nanda, says that Sohi has submitted documents initiating legal action against people who "created, circulated, amplified, benefited and profited from false claims and disinformation" that Sohi was "engaged in serious criminality and corruption."

Those named in the legal papers are Mocha Bezirgan, Varinder Bhullar and Bob Rai.

Sohi alleges Bezirgan, an internet content creator, crafted and circulated disinformation with Rai, a collaborator.

He alleges they made "derogatory, inflammatory and libelous allegations of serious criminality and corruption" against him.

In addition, Sohi is accusing Bhullar of repeating and amplifying the allegations about him made by Rai and Bezirgan.

"The allegations of serious criminality and corruption made against me by these three individuals are untrue, and aim to damage my personal and political reputation among Edmontonians, particularly the South Asian community of Edmonton," said Sohi in the news release.

"This legal action is necessary because we cannot allow these false claims and toxic disinformation to be the norm in our political discourse.

"If we allow this toxicity to spread unimpeded and unchallenged, it will create a political environment where Edmontonians, especially from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, are not comfortable fully participating in their democracy."

Nanda notes any proceeds from the legal action awarded to Sohi will be donated to organizations "fighting disinformation in political discourse and to empower underrepresented communities to participate in the democratic process."

None of the allegations have been proven in court.