18-05-2025
Sikh bizman killed in shooting faced repeated threats, say kin
Canadian law enforcement has said that it is 'actively and thoroughly examining' the murder of an Indo-Canadian Sikh businessman in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), on Wednesday.
While the name of the victim had been circulating since the killing, which occurred in broad daylight, Peel Regional Police (PRP) formally identified him as 51-year-old Harjeet Singh Dhadda.
In a statement, PRP said the victim 'was approached by the suspect and shot multiple times while in a parking lot near Tranmere Drive and Telford Way in Mississauga.'
He later succumbed to the injuries sustained. The suspects fled in a 2018 Black Dodge Challenger, which was recovered shortly following the incident.
Responding to queries from Hindustan Times, a PRP spokesperson said, 'Please be assured that our investigators are actively and thoroughly examining every aspect of this case. As with any investigation, we are committed to following the facts and upholding the integrity of the investigative process.'
'At this time, it is believed that this was a targeted shooting,' it added, in a release issued on Friday.
There have been several unverified claims related to the murder on social media, including a post attributed to a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that Dhadda had been targeted. Unconfirmed reports also linked Dhadda, originally from Uttarakhand to a murder in the state of 70-year-old mining trader Mahal Singh in October 2022. At the time, HT, quoting an unnamed senior state police official had reported that a 'week before his murder, the trader had received a threat call from Canada from one Harjeet Singh, alias Kaale.'
In that regard, PRP said, 'Investigators are also aware of unverified information circulating online and in the media regarding the possible motive'. It urged 'the public to refrain from speculation as this remains an active investigation, and all potential leads will be thoroughly examined.'
The local network Omni reported on Thursday that Dhadda had been targeted for extortion but had refused to pay up. His daughter Gurleen Dhadda told the channel, 'They asked for $500,000 from my dad, but my dad denied it. My dad said he's not going to pay a single penny because he works for it.'
According to local media reports, Dhadda was shot six times. In a social media post, his son Tanveer Singh Dhadda said, '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.'
