Four Punjabis killed in two weeks in Canada

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, December 12

In a worrisome trend, four killings of Punjabis have been reported in separate incidents in Canada in just two weeks. These developments have led to panic amongst the parents whose kids are studying in Canada.

On November 24, it was reported that an 18-year-old Punjabi-origin teenager, Mehakpreet Sethi, was stabbed to death in a high school parking lot by another teenager in Canada’s British Columbia province.

Regret sending her

We regret sending her to Canada for higher studies. Why did we send her at a young age to get her degree? We should have kept her here with us. —Jasvir Kaur, Mother of Pawanpreet Kaur

On the night of December 3, Pawanpreet Kaur, a resident of Brampton, died after being shot multiple times outside a Petro Canada gas station in Mississauga.

Pawanpreet’s mother Jasvir Kaur said, “We regret sending her to Canada. We should have kept her here with us.”

Another incident was reported on December 3, in which a 24-year-old youth, Sanraj Singh, was shot dead in Edmonton.

At around 8:40 pm, the police were called to the area of 51st Street and 13th Avenue near Sakav, from where they received information about the firing. As soon as the police reached the spot, they found Sanraj injured. When he was taken to a hospital, he was declared brought dead.

On December 10, 40-year-old Harpreet Kaur died in Canada after being stabbed multiple times at her home in Surrey in British Columbia.

Apart from these incidents, 28-year-old Satwinder Singh was injured in a shooting rampage in Ontario on September 12, who later succumbed to injuries.

Besides, a Punjabi radio host based in Brampton, Joti Singh Mann, was attacked by three persons in August.

In July, Canada-based businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik was shot dead in Surrey in British Columbia province. The incident took place near the Payal Business Centre in Surrey, where Malik had a business office.

In March, Harmandeep Kaur, a 25-year-old girl from Kapurthala, died in March after being attacked by a Canadian national.

In February, mediaperson Deepak Punj was attacked in the Greater Toronto Area by three persons.

In September this year, the Indian government had even issued an advisory over “sharp rise in hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activities” in Canada. The Centre had warned its citizens in the North American nation and students flying to it to remain vigilant.