“We reported these threats to the police. We begged for protection. But our cries for help went unanswered” – Victim’s daughter

FURIOUS community members have organized a town hall meeting on Sunday, May 18 at Dixie Gurdwara (Ontario Khalsa Darbar) in Mississauga “in loving memory of Harjeet Singh Dhadda,” an Ontario businessman who was brazenly gunned down shortly before noon on Wednesday in an industrial area in Mississauga near Pearson International Airport.

The community will discuss “recent shootings, crime reduction, safer communities.”

Media in Ontario reported that the victim (who had not been officially identified by Peel Regional Police even on Thursday) was shot while he was standing outside his truck. Witnesses said that a car approached him before the shooting. They heard more than a dozen gunshots. The window of a law firm was hit by a bullet and a worker told the media that officers found the bullet behind his chair.

On Thursday, Baaz News reported that the notorious Bishnoi gang of India had taken responsibility for the murder.

Dhadda’s daughter said in a statement: “My name is Gurlin Dhadda. I am Harjeet Singh Dhadda’s daughter and I want justice for my father. I want justice for every family that feels abandoned by a broken system. I’m here today to speak about a tragedy that has shattered my family and shaken our entire community. “Yesterday, my father Harjeet Singh Dhadda was shot and killed in cold blood. He was a devoted father, respected businessman, and a proud Canadian resident since 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. He didn’t deserve to die.

“For the past few years, my father was receiving repeated threat and extortion calls. In April 2023, we even faced a possible attack. We reported these threats to the police. We begged for protection. But our cries for help went unanswered. The system that was supposed to keep us safe, failed him.

“Despite clear signs of danger, no security was provided by police. No meaningful action was taken. And now an innocent man is gone.

“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?”

She concluded: “To the community: Today, it was our father. Tomorrow, it could be yours. Stand with us. Speak out. Demand justice.”

According to South Asian journalists, Dhadda was originally from Bazpur, Uttarakhand state in India. He was operating a trucking safety and compliance business in Mississauga.