CBC News 

The case involving Laibar Singh took a confusing twist Tuesday when a South Asian community committee announced the paralyzed refugee claimant had fired his lawyer and is prepared to return home to India.

The statement was immediately refuted by Singh's lawyer Zoolfikar Suleman, who said he continues to act for the 48-year-old Indian man, who remains in sanctuary in a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C. Suleman said Singh wants to remain there.

"I'm absolutely certain that I'm his lawyer,'' Suleman said. "I get instructions from him and I act on his behalf."

Suleman said Singh wants to remain in Canada until a pending application to remain in this country on humanitarian grounds is heard.

"We are constantly in dealings with the [Canadian Border Services Agency] regarding this situation,'' he said.

Suleman's comments came just hours after a committee, which claims to represent 21 groups in the South Asian community, said it's time for Singh to go home to India.

"Under the given circumstances, it is in the best interest of the community and Mr. Singh to co-operate with the government and respect the law of Canada,'' said Harbans Singh Kandola, who spoke on behalf of the committee during a press conference in Surrey, B.C.

Kandola said the committee had obtained written consent to speak on behalf of Singh after persuading him to fire his lawyer.

The committee believes all legal avenues have been tried and there's concern the ongoing battle is tarnishing the image of the South Asian community, Kandola said.

The dispute is the latest twist in a saga that began when Singh arrived in Canada in 2003 on a forged passport and initially sought refugee status that year on the grounds that he would be persecuted by police in Punjab, where officials have accused him of links to separatist militants. At that time, Singh was not disabled.

His refugee claim was denied in late 2003.

His appeals to stay in Canada were turned down by immigration officials who ruled Singh couldn't remain because he doesn't have adequate community ties.

Singh suffered a massive stroke in 2006 that left him quadriplegic and unable to care for himself and has since argued that he will die if he is deported to India because he won't be able to get proper medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Kandola said his group wants the federal government to return a $50,000 bond that was put up to help keep Singh in Canada, and should now go to the refugee claimant, the South Asian community committee said.

The committee would like to see Singh be allowed to stay in Canada for one more year to allow his health to improve before travelling. However, if that request is rejected, Kandola said his group is ready to send him back to India.