News Brief
Swarajya Staff
Jul 24, 2023, 01:16 PM | Updated 01:16 PM IST
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A 24-year-old Indian student working as a food delivery partner in Canada was tragically killed during a violent carjacking.
The incident occurred on 9 July in Mississauga's Britannia and Creditview roads, where Gurvinder Nath was delivering pizza at around 2.10am.
According to media reports, unknown suspects confronted him and attempted to steal his vehicle.
Peel Regional Police's Homicide Bureau Inspector Phil King stated that investigators believe multiple suspects were involved and that the food order was used to lure the driver to that specific area. They have obtained an audio recording of the Pizza Pizza order placed before the attack.
Upon Nath's arrival, he was violently assaulted by one of the suspects, who robbed him of his vehicle and fled the scene. Police have classified his injuries as critical.
Fortunately, multiple witnesses came to Nath's aid and immediately called for help. He was swiftly transported to a trauma center, but sadly, he was pronounced dead on 14 July.
Siddhartha Nath, the Consul General of India in Toronto, expressed his deep sorrow over Nath's passing and offered his condolences to the family, friends, and the wider community, according to the CBC.
The consulate general has reached out to the family following the tragic event. The Consul General remarked on the heartwarming response from the community, both online and in person, as they rallied together to support the grieving family during this difficult time.
The Consul General expressed his hope that those responsible for the crime would be brought to justice.
According to Inspector King, although the investigation is still in its early stages, the police believe that Nath was an innocent victim.
Nath's vehicle was discovered abandoned in the vicinity of Old Creditview and Old Derry roads shortly after the attack, which was less than five kilometres away from the crime scene, as stated by King.
King stated that the current working theory is that the suspects may have unexpectedly caused significant injuries to Nath, leading them to dispose of the vehicle prematurely.
The vehicle has undergone forensic examination and has yielded "several" pieces of evidence, according to King.
There is no known connection between Nath and his attackers, as stated by the police.
King emphasized that regardless of the level of involvement, those implicated in the murder of Gurvinder Nath will face arrest and appropriate charges.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), will assist in flying Nath's body to India on 27 July.
Last week, CTV News Toronto interviewed the family and friends of Nath, a Brampton resident who was enjoying his summer break before returning to his final semester of business school.
According to Nath's cousin, Balram Krishan, he was simply delivering pizza when he was unexpectedly attacked by unknown individuals, resulting in his tragic death. Krishan emphasized Nath's innocence in the situation.
Nath recently immigrated to Canada from India in July 2021 with aspirations of opening his own business.
A candlelight vigil in Mississauga drew a crowd of over 200 people on Saturday (22 July), as they gathered to remember and honor Nath, as reported by the CBC.
During the vigil, speakers expressed the heartbreaking reality that Nath had arrived in Canada with his family's hopes, only to have those hopes shattered by the loss of one of their three sons.
Bobby Sidhu, a friend of a relative of Nath, emphasized the profound impact of this tragedy, stating, "When you come to Canada, you come with a dream. You start a new life. But these individuals have stolen that dream".
Sidhu expressed his hope that our country can put an end to such senseless and merciless crimes. He noted that Gurvinder's relatability to everyone in the community has brought them together in solidarity.