Ontario Review Board
Re: Jason Vasanthkumar
ORB File No: 7957
Hearing held on: Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Place of hearing: Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences 700 Gordon Street, Whitby
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Mr. J. Goldenberg
Members: Dr. A. Park Dr. A. Kerry Mr. R. Bigelow Mr. J. Cyr
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Jason Vasanthkumar Counsel: Ms. R. Levin
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. J. Szabo
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. N. MacDonald
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated August 26, 2025)
Jason Vasanthkumar was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder, on charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, discharge firearm with intent, assault with a weapon, careless use of a weapon, and utter threats to cause death or bodily harm.
Mr. Vasanthkumar is currently subject to a Disposition of the Review Board dated August 6, 2024, by which he was ordered to be detained at the General Forensic Service of the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (“Ontario Shores”).
Position of the Parties:
At the outset of the hearing, the parties were canvassed as to their recommendations to the Board.
Ms. Szabo appeared for Ontario Shores. She advised of the hospital’s position that Mr. Vasanthkumar remains a significant threat to public safety, and if the Board so finds, the hospital is now recommending that Mr. Vasanthkumar be discharged subject to a number of conditions.
Ms. MacDonald appeared for the Attorney General. She supported the hospital’s position and recommendation.
Ms. Levin appeared for Mr. Vasanthkumar. Ms. Levin also supported the hospital’s recommendation.
Index Offences:
- "In summary, as noted in Dr. Meng’s psychiatric report dated August 25, 2021, according to the York Regional Police initial officer report, officers were dispatched on Monday October 12, 2020, to a weapons call at the intersection of Crestwood Road and Payson Avenue in the city of Vaughan. The complainant [victim 1] reported that a male with a possible knife in his hand was making stabbing gestures.
Subsequently York Regional Police received a second call advising that the accused now had a gun and was chasing someone in the street. It was noted that the accused approached victim 1 holding a folding pocketknife and threatened him with it, left and soon returned carrying a rifle chasing and firing it at victim 1 as they ran around the exterior of the residence.
When officers arrived, a motorist flagged them down and stated, "there is a guy with a gun in front of 152 Crestwood". As officers approached the address they identified the accused, Jason Vasanthkumar, standing on the driveway and smoking a cigarette. When advised he was under arrest, he flipped his cigarette towards the officers and turned around and returned inside the residence. He subsequently exited and began walking toward the officers, ignoring their demands to stop and get to the ground. The accused turned his back to the officers and began to walk up the stairs of the porch to the landing and a long with an object was noted on the porch. Before he could approach it, officers deployed a CEW successfully stopping him.
It is noted that he asked officers why they had tased him as he wanted to be shot. He was subsequently handcuffed and escorted to the police station. Of note the long thin object on the porch was determined to be a bolt action pellet rifle."
Evidence at Hearing:
- The Board admitted into evidence a Hospital Report dated July 14, 2025. The Hospital Report provides a great deal of information concerning Mr. Vasanthkumar, his personal history, his mental health history, Mr. Vasanthkumar’s course in hospital and in the community subsequent to the date of the index offence. As the Hospital Report was made an exhibit in this hearing, it is not necessary to reproduce the information contained in the Hospital Report in these Reasons. We do note, however, the stated diagnoses of:
Schizoaffective Disorder, bipolar type
Polysubstance Use Disorder (in remission)
Cluster B Personality Traits
In addition to the documentary evidence, the Board heard from Dr. Pallandi. Dr. Pallandi noted that there are no updates to the Hospital Report. Dr. Pallandi’s attention was drawn to paragraph 14 from last year’s Reasons. At that time, the panel noted Dr. Pallandi’s evidence that the doctor “is not sure the patient will return to hospital. There is a risk that Mr. Vasanthkumar would stop his medication and return to substances”.
Dr. Pallandi is now of the opinion that in fact Mr. Vasanthkumar would cooperate with any hospital request, including a request to come back to hospital. Dr. Pallandi now is of the opinion that Mr. Vasanthkumar will remain compliant with medication and will not return to the use of substances. Dr. Pallandi stressed that Mr. Vasanthkumar has a very good relationship with the entire clinical team.
Dr. Pallandi noted that Mr. Vasanthkumar is working in the community and has been working at the same job for more than 18 months.
Dr. Pallandi and the clinical team are satisfied that the necessary and appropriate Disposition is a Conditional Discharge. Dr. Pallandi repeated that his patient is doing well and there is a reasonable expectation that a year from now, his patient might well be ready to receive an Absolute Discharge.
Dr. Pallandi noted that the clinical team is no longer seeking a substance prohibition although it is going to continue with a requirement to provide samples. This is a method that the doctor and the clinical team use to test the patient at a time when he is still under the Ontario Review Board. For the same reason, the hospital is not seeking a residence clause as part of the Board’s Disposition.
Dr. Pallandi stated that there is simply no need to specify a community residence. Dr. Pallandi stated his understanding that Mr. Vasanthkumar can continue at his residence indefinitely.
In response to a question from a panel member, Dr. Pallandi acknowledged a statement in the Hospital Report that Mr. Vasanthkumar’s insight into his mental illness and need for medication is not robust. This is an issue in which the doctor is hoping and is confident that Mr. Vasanthkumar’s insight will improve. Dr. Pallandi commented that this issue is the reason why the clinical team is not recommending an Absolute Discharge at this hearing.
We note for the record that Mr. Vasanthkumar’s parents were in attendance at the hearing. The doctor acknowledged that Mr. Vasanthkumar’s parents are a source of strong support. The doctor noted as well that the parents are well informed and well acquainted with their son and his need for medication.
No other evidence was heard at this hearing.
Final Submissions:
- All parties maintained their original positions, namely that at this time, Mr. Vasanthkumar remains a significant threat to public safety and that his threat to public safety can be readily managed with the Conditional Discharge proposed by the hospital. Of interest, Ms. Levin asked the doctor whether there are any available programs at the hospital that would assist Mr. Vasanthkumar in obtaining greater insight. The doctor did not believe that there was any such program and more importantly, the doctor noted that Mr. Vasanthkumar is working full time at a responsible job. Ms. MacDonald noted that this patient is “moving in the right direction”. Ms. MacDonald also complimented Mr. Vasanthkumar on his success in the community. Ms. MacDonald also noted that Mr. Vasanthkumar had obtained his G2 licence in this past year. Ms. Levin asked the Board to grant the Conditional Discharge. She commented that her client appreciates the stability he has achieved over the past few years.
Findings of the Board:
The Board accepts the evidence of Dr. Pallandi and the evidence contained in the Hospital Report. We accept that at the present time, Mr. Vasanthkumar remains a significant threat to public safety. We accept at the present time that Mr. Vasanthkumar’s threat to public safety can be readily managed with a Conditional Discharge. We support the hospital’s recommendation not to specify a community residence and also not to include a prohibition against the use of substances. We repeat our view that the necessary and appropriate Disposition is the recommended Conditional Discharge.
In reaching our Disposition, the Board has taken into consideration public safety, Mr. Vasanthkumar’s mental condition and his other needs, and Mr. Vasanthkumar’s reintegration into society.
DATED this 26th day of August 2025, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Mr. J. Goldenberg Alternate Chairperson Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board