Who was Indian-origin insurance broker Harjeet Singh Dhadda, shot dead in Canada?

A 51-year-old Sikh businessman, Harjeet Singh Dhadda, was shot by unidentified gunmen at a parking lot in Mississauga, Ontario, earlier this week. Peel Regional Police said he died in the hospital after 20 rounds of firing and investigators believe it was a targeted shooting -- implying that the shooters came to kill him.

His family members have accused the police of gross negligence as they said they reported all the threat calls that their father was receiving and even begged for security but the police did not pay any heed.

Who was Harjeet Singh Dhadda?

According to the family, Dhadda is a businessman who came to settle in Canada in 1997. "For more than 25 years, he worked hard to build a life here-- he ran his own business, was a successful insurance broker and contributed positively to this country," his daughter Gurlin Dhadda said in her statement. Some reports, however, claimed that Dhadda was a businessman in the trucking services industry. Rohit Gadara, an aide of notorious Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed the killing of Dhadda and said Dhadda was given a warning a year ago. But despite that, Dhadda, they said, helped Arsh Dalla's release on bail. Arsh Dalla is Khalistan Tiger Force chief.

Family refutes any criminal connection

Dhadda's family members refuted any criminal link. "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," son Tanveer Dhadda said. "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?" daughter Gurlin wrote in her statement.

What police said about receiving complaints from Dhadda

Peel police told CBC News that they are aware of "unverified information currently circulating in the media" about the homicide. Police did not say if they had received reports about threats against Dhadda.Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said that police noticed a "disturbing" trend in late 2023 in which South Asian business owners were becoming the victims of extortion attempts for large sums of money under the threat of violence. He said a task force was set up at that time to investigate into those cases.