A 55-year-old Canadian-Indian businessman, Arvi Singh Sagoo, died after being brutally attacked by a stranger in Edmonton, Canada. The assault took place on 19 October 2025, after Sagoo confronted a man urinating on his vehicle. According to Global News, Sagoo had gone out for dinner with his girlfriend that night. When they returned to their car early the next morning, they found a man relieving himself on it. When Sagoo asked him to stop, the man reportedly replied, “Whatever I want,” and struck him hard on the head.
Sagoo collapsed and lost consciousness on the spot. His girlfriend immediately called 911, and paramedics arrived within minutes. He was rushed to a hospital and placed on life support but succumbed to his injuries on 24 October. Police later identified the assailant as 40-year-old Kyle Papin, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Investigators confirmed that Papin did not know Sagoo and that the attack appeared random and unprovoked.
Following the tragedy, one of Sagoo’s close friends, Vincent Ram, launched a fundraiser to support Sagoo’s two children. The campaign stated that the funds would help with funeral costs, daily needs, and education. “This isn’t just about financial help,” the post read. “It’s about showing that the community stands with them as they face life without their father.”
The incident comes amid growing concern over the safety of Indian-origin residents in Canada, as several violent attacks and murders have occurred in recent months.
Another Indian-origin businessman murdered
Days before Sagoo’s death, another Indian-origin businessman, 68-year-old Darshan Singh Sahsi, was shot dead on 27 October 2025 outside his home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang later claimed responsibility for the killing. CCTV footage showed a masked gunman emerging from a silver sedan, firing multiple shots into Sahsi’s pickup truck, and fleeing within seconds. Sahsi was found critically injured and later died of his wounds.
Gang member Goldy Dhillon admitted that the Ludhiana-born businessman was targeted because he allegedly refused to pay extortion money related to drug trade operations. Sahsi, who moved to Canada in 1991, had built a successful business, Canam International, after reviving a struggling textile recycling unit.
Punjabi singer shot in gang attack
Earlier in October 2025, Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon was shot in the stomach in Canada. Three men claiming affiliation with gangster Rohit Godara uploaded a video confessing to the shooting. In the video, they accused Kahlon of supplying weapons and conspiring against their gang, warning that they would “finish him” if he did not stop.
Indian student killed in crossfire
On 17 April 2025, 21-year-old Mohawk College student Harsimrat Randhawa was shot dead at a bus stop in Ontario. She was an innocent bystander caught in a gunfight between two vehicles — a black Mercedes SUV and a white car. Randhawa was struck in the chest and died on the spot despite the efforts of paramedics. Her death shocked the Indian student community and reignited concerns about public safety.
Security guard shot dead in Edmonton
In December 2024, 20-year-old Indian student Harshandeep Singh was murdered while working as a security guard in Edmonton. CCTV footage showed three individuals harassing and pushing him down a stairwell before one of them shot him from behind. Singh died at the scene. Police arrested two suspects and charged them with first-degree murder.
Student stabbed to death in Ontario
Another victim, 22-year-old Gurasis Singh, was stabbed to death on 1 December 2024 inside his rented apartment in Sarnia, Ontario. Singh had been in Canada for just four months pursuing higher education. The suspect, 36-year-old Crossley Hunter, was charged with second-degree murder. While police said the incident followed a dispute with a neighbour, Singh’s father alleged his son was attacked while asleep.
Sharp rise in hate crimes against Indians
These consecutive attacks reflect an alarming rise in violence and hate crimes against Indian-origin individuals in Canada and across the world. A study by the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) reported a 227% increase in hate crimes targeting South Asians between 2019 and 2023. Online anti-Indian hate speech rose by 1,350% over the same period, with over 26,600 social media posts using slurs such as “pajeet” between May 2023 and April 2025.
The ISD study also found that far-right groups like Diagolon. led by extremist Jeremy MacKenzie have played a major role in spreading anti-Indian narratives online, often using satire or “jokes” to mask racist content. During the lead-up to Canada’s 2025 federal election, over 2,300 posts promoting anti-South Asian hate were shared, generating 1.2 million engagements.
Experts warn that this surge in online hate has directly translated into real-world violence, deepening the sense of fear among Indian immigrants and students living in Canada.
(Source: OpIndia)
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