Indo-Canadian businessman murdered in British Columbia; police launch probe

Baljinder Singh Garcha was described as a well-known member of the Surrey business community.

Toronto: Canadian law enforcement has identified a 47-year-old Indo-Canadian businessman as the victim of a homicide that took place on Tuesday.

Baljinder Singh Garcha, also known as Binder, was the victim found lying near a property in the town of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada. (Credit: IHIT)

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT said that Baljinder Singh Garcha, also known as Binder, was the victim found lying near a property in the town of Surrey in British Columbia.

Just after noon on January 13, officers from the Surrey Police Service or SPS, responding to calls, located Garcha “apparently suffering from gunshot wounds”. While emergency personnel attended to Garcha, he “was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene”.

Police also responded to a vehicle fire in the vicinity and “investigators believe this to be related to the ongoing investigation”, a SPS release stated.

While the investigation remains in its early stages, IHIT spokesperson Cpl Sukhi Dhesi said, “Based on initial investigative steps, investigators do not believe there is a connection to the B.C. gang conflict and are working diligently to understand the circumstances that led to the death of Mr. Garcha. We are asking anyone with information to please come forward and speak with investigators.”

“These are reckless murders that are occurring and we don’t want them to continue,” Dhesi said during a press conference on Wednesday, according to the outlet Surrey-Now Leader.

Garcha was described as a well-known member of the Surrey business community and owned a wedding photography business, limousine service and a banquet hall.

Garcha is the latest among multiple Indo-Canadian businessmen murdered within the last year in the Lower Mainland region of BC. In October, Darshan Singh Sahsi, 68, was identified as the victim of a “targeted” shooting in the town of Abbotsford. Sahsi ran the Canam International, which is considered among the world’s leading recyclers of clothing.

On June 11, another local businessman Satwinder Sharma was shot dead, again in Abbotsford.