Canadian Journalist Flags 'Anti-India Sentiment' After Murders Of 2 Indians

After two Indian students in Toronto were killed in a span of one week, Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman has highlighted concerns over a culture of "anti-India sentiment" rising in the country. 

"There's a rising culture of anti-Indian sentiment being pushed by a lot of different factors, some of which you're familiar with in India," Bordman told ANI.

He criticised the handling of such cases by the Canadian authorities and accused the law enforcement of incompetence in serious crimes while being overly aggressive in dealing with other cases. He also expressed scepticism about police investigating such cases.

Bordman said that the murders seem unrelated, as they happened in different provinces and were separated by more than a day's drive.

READ | Indian Woman Himanshi Khurana Murdered In Canada, Partner Is Prime Suspect

"So for the most recent murder in Toronto, we just know the name of the victim and that he was shot dead. We don't know why, who, what, when, or how. This most recent murder – the public knows next to nothing about it other than that there is a murder. If you're wondering what the police are doing, they're probably looking into it, but this is Canadian police. So I expect extreme incompetence," he said.

Regarding the handling of the case, he said that the Toronto police will not take the case seriously because for them "this is just a murder". However, he said, had it been a mean comment online about a government official that was not white, the person would have been in jail for 50 years.

He added, "They will fumble it. And if they don't manage to fumble it and they find the responsible party, they will be put in jail for maybe a maximum of three years before being let out to rampage the streets again."

His remarks come at a time of heightened concern over the safety of Indians in Canada following the murder of two Indians within a span of one week.

READ | Indian Student, 20, Shot Dead Near Toronto University, Accused On The Run

Himanshi Khurana, a 30-year-old woman of Indian origin, was found murdered in the city of Toronto last week. Police had said that they were searching for Abdul Ghafoori, also of Toronto, in connection with the case.

This was followed by the killing of Shivank Avasthi, who was gunned down in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area in Toronto on December 23. Police officials said the suspects fled the scene before police arrived.