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CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
2 men charged with 1st-degree murder linked to Brampton man's death
Two men have been arrested in British Columbia and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 51-year old Brampton man Harjeet Dhadda. Peel Regional Police announced the arrests of two men from Delta, B.C., in a news release Tuesday. "Despite the suspects' efforts to evade capture, our teams remained focused and relentless," Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement. "This outcome sends a clear message — no matter how far you run, our teams will find you." Dhadda was shot multiple times in a parking lot near Tranmere Drive and Telford Way in Mississauga shortly before noon on May 14. He died later in hospital. Police say that after an "intensive investigation," the two men now facing charges were identified and tracked to B.C. The two men, who are both 21 years old, were arrested on May 28, according to investigators. "This arrest is a testament to the unwavering perseverance and diligence of our homicide investigators," Duraiappah said. "The strong collaboration with policing partners allows this family to take the next step toward justice for the loss of their loved one." The victim's family has said that, in recent years, Dhadda was . His daughter, Gurlin, previously described her father as both a leader and her hero. "It's like my heart was ripped away. But I know he would want me to be strong, which I will," she said. "That's why I'm fighting for him."
CBC
19-05-2025
- CBC
Community members pack meeting to talk about safety following killing of Brampton man
Members of the South Asian community packed a town hall meeting on Sunday to talk about public safety following the death of a Brampton man who was gunned down in Mississauga this week. The killing of Harjeet Dhadda, 51, has sparked concerns about violence in the community. Peel Regional Police say Dhadda was shot several times in a parking lot near Tranmere Drive and Telford Way, near Pearson International Airport, on Wednesday shortly before noon. Paramedics performed CPR before he was rushed to a local hospital, where he died. Gurlin Dhadda, his daughter, called for justice for her father at the meeting at the Dixie Gurdwara, also known as the Ontario Khalsa Darbar. The gurdwara is on Dixie Road near Derry Road in Mississauga. Growing violence, including gun violence, and rising crime rates are troubling the community, she told the gathering. "We are here to ask: Who is responsible? Why is nothing done?" she asked. "My father, Harjeet Singh Dhadda, was an honest man. He worked hard every single day and followed the law for the past 27 years. He was not only a loving father, but he was a pillar to this community," she said. Gurlin said her father launched food drives during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free meals to people in need, and helped many people start their trucking businesses. "That was the kind of man he was — always giving, always serving," she said. "He did not deserve this. No family deserves the pain that we are going through." Gurlin said the community needs to demand better laws and better protection to keep Canada safe. "Today, it is our family. Tomorrow, it could be yours. We are not just mourning a life lost. We are raising our voices to demand justice and real change," she said. 'I've lost my dad, my hero,' daughter says In an interview after the meeting, Gurlin said her father received a call on Dec. 10, 2023, during which the caller demanded $500,000 and told Dhadda he would be killed if he didn't give them the money. The threat was reported to police. Security was provided for a week and later police patrolled around his office and house, but then it stopped. On the social media platform LinkedIn, Dhadda is described as a commercial insurance broker. Gurlin said the laws governing gun violence should be strengthened. As for her father, she said: "He was a leader. He was a very nice man. He was always there for everyone, and I want everyone to be there for him and get justice for him." She added: "I've lost my dad, my hero. It's like my heart was ripped away. But I know he would want me to be strong, which I will. That's why I'm fighting for him." Gurlin and her brother, Tanveer Singh Dhadda, have said in social media posts that their father had received repeated threats and extortion calls in recent years. They said the threats were reported to police. Peel police have not confirmed whether they received reports of threats against Dhadda. They have said they believe the shooting was targeted but have not announced any arrests or named any suspects. 'Everyone is scared,' Brampton West MP says Amarjeet Gill, the Conservative MP for Brampton West, told the meeting that crime is a major problem in Peel Region and that law-abiding citizens are frustrated with crime rates, which he called unacceptable. "Everyone is scared whether it's car theft, whether it's house-breaking, whether it's extortion calls," he said. "These are not the things we want to see in our society." Gill said people want to secure the best life possible for their children and that the crime rates are distracting them from that goal. Extortion threats a problem in B.C. In British Columbia, a number of South Asian business owners also say they have been targets of extortion threats in recent years. Jas Arora, the owner of Highway King Transport, a trucking company in Abbotsford, said he has faced threats since 2023 and they have frightened him. He said he has received more than 100 extortion calls. "This has been two years since I started getting calls in the nighttime from different numbers," he said. "All they're saying is, that if I don't give them a million dollars, they will kill me and my kids." The RCMP launched a national alliance of various police forces across Canada last year, called the RCMP National Coordination and Support Team, to combat extortion. But Kash Heed, a former police chief and solicitor general in B.C., said there have been few results from that alliance for the community most affected.
CBC
17-05-2025
- CBC
Brampton man, 51, identified as victim of fatal shooting in Mississauga parking lot
Peel Regional Police have identified a Brampton man who died in hospital after he was shot several times in a Mississauga parking lot this week in what investigators believe was a targeted shooting. Harjeet Dhadda, 51, was approached by suspects shortly before noon on Wednesday and shot in a lot near Tranmere Drive and Telford Way, police said in a news release on Friday. The area is near Toronto's Pearson International Airport. When officers arrived, they found Dhadda with "obvious signs of trauma," police said in a scrum following the shooting. Emergency personnel performed CPR before rushing him to a local hospital, where he later died. Police said in the release that the shooters fled the scene in a stolen black 2018 Dodge Challenger, which officers have recovered. Police released a photo of the vehicle on Friday. Const. Michelle Stafford, spokesperson for Peel police, said in the scrum: "At this point we believe this to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to public safety." On the social media platform LinkedIn, Dhadda is described as a commercial insurance broker. According to social media posts from his children, Dhadda had received threats in recent years, which were reported to police. 'And now an innocent man is gone,' daughter says The victim's daughter, who identifies herself as Gurlin Dhadda on Instagram, said in an Instagram post on Thursday that she wants justice for her father. "For the past few years, my father was receiving repeated threat and extortion calls. In April 2023, we even faced a possible attack. We reported these threats to the police. We begged for protection. But our cries for help went unanswered. The system that was supposed to keep us safe, failed him," she said in the post. "Despite clear signs of danger, no security was provided by police. No meaningful action was taken. And now an innocent man is gone," she added. "Our community is grieving, but we are also outraged. We ask: What is the government doing about rising extortion and targeted violence? Why are innocent people left defenceless while the threats grow louder? When the authorities fail to protect us, what options do we have?" Gurlin, who supplied a photo of her father to CBC Toronto, said his death is a deep personal loss. She described him as the backbone of their family and the local Sikh community. 'My father did not deserve this,' son says The victim's son, who identifies himself as Tanveer Singh Dhadda, called on political leaders to take a hard look at the laws in Canada. "My father did not deserve this. He was not involved in anything criminal. He lived an honest life. Yet, those who came to harm him were armed with illegal weapons, operating with complete disregard for the law and seemingly without fear of consequences," he said. "We trusted the authorities to protect us, but they have failed. Our office is located near the airport in an area known for a high police presence yet still, my father was gunned down in broad daylight. If such a violent act can take place here, what safety do everyday citizens truly have?" CBC Toronto reached out to Peel police to ask if they had received reports about threats against Dhadda, but did not get a response in time for publication. Both adult children said in their posts that their father was a respected member of the community, a devoted father, a hard working businessman and a Canadian resident since 1997. "He went beyond to help each and every person," Tanveer said in one post: Police said in the release that investigators are aware of "unverified information circulating online" about a possible motive. "Peel Regional Police is urging the public to refrain from speculation as this remains an active investigation, and all potential leads will be thoroughly examined," police said. Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah has said that police noticed a "disturbing" trend in late 2023 in which business owners were becoming the victims of extortion attempts for large sums of money under the threat of violence. Many of the business owners targeted were South Asian. In response to the threats, police set up the Peel Regional Police Extortion Investigative Task Force (EITF), a team made up of investigative and intelligence units supported by tactical teams. The task force has launched investigations, made arrests, laid charges and seized guns, drugs and stolen vehicles. Police have not commented on whether the homicide is connected to extortion threats.
Toronto Star
17-05-2025
- Toronto Star
‘We begged for protection': Mississauga businessman fatally shot after years of threats, daughter says
The daughter of a Toronto-area businessman killed in a brazen shooting in Mississauga says she believes her father would still be alive if police acted with greater urgency to the repeated threats against him. Speaking to the Star, Gurlin Dhadda identified the victim of Wednesday's killing as her father, Harjeet Singh Dhadda, 51. She called him a hardworking man, a proud Canadian resident and a leader in the local Punjabi Sikh community.
