The Canadian Press

Vancouver: A former British Columbia man whose sexual assault conviction was thrown out in what the Crown has called a “miscarriage of justice” has filed a civil lawsuit.

Gurdev Singh Dhillon was convicted of sexual assault in 2005, imprisoned and deported to India in 2008.

But a special prosecutor found Crown counsel didn’t disclose DNA evidence that pointed to three other men _ something the B.C. Appeal Court cited when it threw out the conviction last year.

The lawsuit names Dhillon’s former defence lawyer, the provincial and federal governments, the lead investigator and prosecutor and an unknown civilian employee of the RCMP.

The allegations have yet to be proven in court, but Dhillon’s new defence lawyer alleges the defendants were negligent during the investigation and leadup to the trial.

Jason Gratl says his client lost his freedom, his marriage, his child, his job and his country and now has few economic prospects as a farmer in rural India.

© 2015 The Canadian Press