By Rochelle Baker - Abbotsford News

Laibar Singh, the paralyzed refugee claimant who sought shelter in an Abbotsford Sikh temple, returned to India early this morning (Tuesday).

Singh left the Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar Gurdwara Monday night to present himself to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) by 8 p.m. at the Vancouver International Airport, said temple president Swarn Singh Gill.

His flight to New Delhi was scheduled to leave at 1 a.m., said Gill. Some supporters from the temple were to accompany Singh to the airport, but no protesters planned to block his departure, said Gill.

“There will be no demonstration because he’s the one who wants to go back now,” he said.

More than 1,000 supporters at the airport prevented his deportation in December 2007 after his first five-month stay at the temple on Blueridge Drive.

Singh returned to the Abbotsford gurdwara in March after a stay in Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple.

Singh was feeling somewhat despondent, said Gill.

“He was feeling sad yesterday and crying a little bit. Myself, I was sad because he’s been with us a while and he’s like family, but there’s nothing we can do.”

Singh’s lawyer, Peter Edelmann, confirmed his client intended to present himself at the airport for removal, in a statement released yesterday.

CBSA officials talked to Singh’s doctor about whether the paralyzed man was fit to make the trip to India, Edelmann said. Agents from the border services agency attended the Abbotsford gurdwara, despite the clear indication it was a sanctuary zone, to tell Mr. Singh that there was no chance for him to remain in Canada, stated Edelmann.

Singh hoped to remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds but the 49-year-old tired of his struggle.

He originally came to Canada in 2003 on a forged passport and made a refugee claim, saying he faced persecution at the hands of Punjab state police.

His claim was denied and he fled Ontario to B.C., where, working in Surrey as a painter in August 2006, he suffered a brain aneurysm that left him paralyzed.

The Sikh community has raised a total of $38,000 to help Singh cover costs once he returns to his village in the Punjab, said Gill.

Beyond that, he will be returning to India with a couple of suitcases and two specialized wheelchairs.

Gill talked to Singh’s eldest daughter Sunday night who had mixed emotions about her dad’s return to India.

“They are worried about his health but they want to see their dad.”

CBSA officials said it would be inappropriate to comment any further on Singh’s case.