Sipu Jha
BENGALURU: A 37-year-old Indian-origin tech professional from Karnataka was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a brazen daylight attack at the parking lot of a busy shopping mall in Toronto Saturday.The victim has been identified as Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar, a resident of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area and a native of Thyamagondlu village near Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural district. In Thyamagondlu, about 47 km from Bengaluru, Chandan’s parents were struggling to come to terms with the loss of their only son. “We spoke to him last Friday. He said he would take leave and come home this summer. We were planning for his marriage. We are completely shattered,” his father Nandakumar said.No arrests have been made so far. Police in Toronto have launched a homicide investigation, suspecting a “targeted” attack. Some relatives suspect Chandan’s efforts to form a Kannada association in Toronto could have played a role in the killing, though police have not indicated any motive so far. A computer science graduate from Sapthagiri College, Bengaluru, Chandan had moved to Canada about six years ago and was working with LTI Mindtree, a subsidiary of L&T. Earlier, he had worked with Cognizant in Bengaluru.The killing has sent shockwaves through the Indian diaspora in Canada. This is Toronto’s third homicide this year and has triggered grief and outrage among Kannadigas, both in Canada and Karnataka.Family members said Chandan had repeatedly postponed his return to India. “Had he listened to us and returned, he would have been with us now,” Nandakumar lamented.Chandan was seated inside his SUV when the attackers opened fire near the entrance to Woodbine Shopping Centre, close to Rexdale Boulevard, around 3.30 pm (local time). According to an official release from Toronto Police Service (TPS), officers rushed to the spot after receiving reports of a shooting and found Chandan with multiple gunshot wounds. “He was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries before he succumbed to the wounds,” family members told TOI, quoting the TPS communication. Visuals from the scene showed Chandan’s white car riddled with bullet holes, prompting investigators to treat the incident as a “targeted” attack. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle. TPS Inspector Errol Watson said the incident raised public safety concerns. “I can understand how a shooting like this, especially at a mall, can cause concern for the safety of the public,” he told the media. Condoling the incident, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said: “We are disturbed by the incident. We have lost a Kannadiga. Our police department has already sought the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to bring back the body.” Chikkaballapura MP Dr K Sudhakar said he was coordinating with MEA authorities to facilitate the repatriation of Chandan’s body. Friends said he was actively involved in Kannada cultural circles in Toronto, promoting Kannada films, music and community events. His uncle Murali Krishna said the family was unable to understand the motive behind the killing. “He built a stable life abroad and was working hard. He was the only son. We don’t know why this happened,” he said.
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