As many as 14 gunshots were fired at the residence of the son of a Hindu temple president in Surrey, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. In the wake of this unsettling incident, Canadian authorities are currently investigating the matter, details of which in media reports only include the efforts being made in the probe and do not confirm if any suspects have been identified. The house in this case is of the son of Satish Kumar, who is the president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey.
The man whose house came under attack is a Hindu businessman and the incident transpired on December 27, 2023, at around 8:03 am. The resident is located in the 14900 block of 80 Avenue. Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to a report of shots fired at the house.
According to a statement from RCMP, no one was injured during the incident. However, the police added that the residence involved “sustained damage consistent with bullet holes.”
“Police remained in the area, examining the scene, speaking with witnesses and canvassing the neighbourhood for CCTV footage. The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit has conduct of the investigation. Officers are still working to determine the motive of this incident,” the statement added.
The police requested anyone with more information about the incident, including dashcam footage of the incident, to get in contact with them.
This attack comes against the backdrop of a growing diplomatic row between India and Canada.
The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit has taken charge of the investigation and is working to ascertain the motive behind this targeted attack.
There has been a concerning escalation in violence against Hindu communities in Canada. Temples have been increasingly subjected to acts of vandalism and attacks, coinciding with the surging presence of Khalistani groups in the country, something that India has been probing Canada to take action against.
In September, the Shri Mata Bhameshwari Durga temple, in Canada’s Surrey was defaced with anti-India and pro-Khalistan graffiti on its outer walls. Recent occurrences also include vandalism at temples in Brampton and the Greater Toronto area.
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Community leaders are pressing law enforcement to allocate additional resources for the security of these temples as the Hindu community remains uneasy in the face of these troubling developments and heightening tensions in the diplomatic relations between India and Canada.
(With inputs from agencies)
