Rajinderpal Basran, a 50-year-old Indian-origin businessman based in Canada, has been arrested and charged with arson with intent to defraud in connection with the blaze that gutted his sports bar and restaurant, Halftime Huddle, in Leader.
Rajinderpal Basran, a 50-year-old Indian-origin businessman based in Canada, has been arrested and charged with arson with intent to defraud in connection with the blaze that gutted his sports bar and restaurant, Halftime Huddle, in Leader, a small town near Saskatoon. The suspicious fire erupted in the early hours of October 26, 2025, leaving it completely destroyed.
Police were alerted to the inferno around 2:40 am, but by the time firefighters managed to contain the flames, the building had already been reduced to rubble. Basran claimed he was out of town when the fire broke out.
Investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) later found a video footage that raised serious red flags. The footage reportedly shows a suspect arriving at the bar, forcibly breaking in, and then fleeing the scene in a dark-coloured SUV, shortly before the fire engulfed the property.
Basran told CBC that he was not in the city when he first learned about the fire. He said his family had invested a significant part of their lives into building the business, only to see it destroyed overnight. When questioned about insurance concerns, Basran had earlier downplayed financial worries.
“I will come out of this but the mental trauma and safety of my family, safety of my people who work around, that’s the most important right now,” Basran said.
Basran, who owns three other businesses in the town, is now scheduled to appear in court on March 19, as investigators continue to probe the circumstances surrounding the fire that wiped out Halftime Huddle.