Canada: Temple Counters SFJ's Protest Over Nijjar's Killing; House Of Its Head's Son Fired Upon, Extortion Suspected As Motive

In the early hours of Wednesday (27 December), the home of the son of the head of Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada was targeted in a shooting. Investigators are still searching for the shooters and have yet to determine a motive for the attack.

According to Hindustan Times, the head of the temple, Satish Kumar, reported that between 11 to 14 bullets were discharged. He expressed uncertainty about the motives behind the incident.

Kumar also mentioned that the area has witnessed several extortion cases. He speculated that the recent sale of an insurance agency by his son might have led the perpetrators to believe he was in possession of a large sum of money.

Last month, the temple made headlines when its members countered a protest by the secessionist group, Sikhs for Justice. The protest was against the killing of Khalistani figure, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which occurred on 18 June in Surrey.

Several months afterwards, a diplomatic dispute was sparked by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar's assassination. This accusation led India to request Canada to recall 41 out of its 62 diplomats.

Posters targeting India's top diplomats were affixed by Khalistani elements on the gates and walls of a temple in Surrey. This act is part of a string of incidents involving the defacement of temples in British Columbia.

Kumar and his son, well-known businessmen in the region, are located in an area that has recently experienced a surge of extortion attempts. The police, on 23 November, noted these extortion incidents aimed at business owners and urged any potential victims to report by making a call.

Parshotam Goel, a council member of Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, expressed concern over the shooting incident but admitted they were uncertain about the perpetrator's identity. He emphasized their reluctance to point fingers without substantial evidence.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Surrey detachment announced on Thursday that they are investigating an attack. They stated that officers were called to a residence around 8 am on Wednesday morning following reports of gunfire.

Although there were no casualties, the dwelling was damaged in a manner that aligns with bullet impacts. The statement mentioned, "The officers are continuing their efforts to ascertain the reason behind this occurrence."