'We begged for protection,' says daughter of Harjeet Dhadda, Indian-origin businessman killed in Canada

Gurleen Dhadda, the daughter of Brampton-based Harjeet Singh Dhadda, issued a statement after her father was shot several times at a parking lot in Mississauga, Ontario, in what the police called a 'targeted' shooting.

Following the shooting, Dhadda was taken to a hospital where he died. Gurleen said his father was a proud Canadian resident since 1997 and worked hard to build a life in Canada, where he had to die -- despite clear signs of danger.Gurleen said her father was receiving repeated threats and extortion calls and there was a possible attack in 2023. All of this was reported to the police but there was no help. "We begged for protection.

But our cries for help went unanswered. The system that was supposed to keep us safe failed him," she wrote. Blaming the government for failing to curb extortion and targeted violence, Gurleen wrote that the community is outraged. "Why are innocent people left defenceless while the threats grow louder? When the authorities fail to protect us, what options do we have?" the statement read.

Who is Harjeet Dhadda? Why was he killed?

On Wednesday, the 51-year-old insurance broker and businessman was approached by suspects at the parking lot before noon and was shot.

When officers arrived, they said they found Dhadda with "obvious signs of trauma".The shooters fled the scene in a stolen black 2018 Dodge Challenger who has been recovered. TOI earlier reported that the Lawrence Bishnoi group claimed responsibility for Dhadda's murder. They said Dhadda was assisting Khalistan Tiger Force chief Arsh Dalla with bail.

My father was not involved in anything criminal, says son

Dhadda's son Tanveer Singh Dhadda said his father was not involved in anything criminal. "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.