Indian national stabbed to death in Canada’s Ottawa, high commission issues statement

An Indian national was killed in Canada and racism is believed to be the motive behind the attack. The High Commission of India said in a statement on Saturday, April 5, that the Indian national died in Rockland near Ottawa “due to stabbing”.

Taking to social media platform X, the High Commission said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody."

While assuring assistance to the victim's family through local community contacts, the Indian Embassy in Canada said, "We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin.”

The high commission didn't name the accused or shared any further details.

Who is the Indian national killed Rockland?

The victim of the stabbing incident has yet to be formally identified. However, people offering support to his wife in the town of Rockland, Ontario, said he was 27-year-old Dharmesh Kathireeya, the Hindustan Times reported.

Kathireeya hailed from Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, the reported added.

People told the Hindustan Times that on Friday afternoon, Kathireeya was stabbed by a neighbor while he was exiting a shared laundry room in the building he resided in.

The accused is a white male, believed to be in his 60s, who had earlier allegedly hurled racial and anti-Indian epithets at the victim and his wife.

The alleged attacker was taken into custody by police after the incident, but his name is yet to be released.

Moreover, the high commission didn't confirm if this was the case it was refering to in its tweet.

Not the first incident

Gurasis Singh, 22, a first-year business management student at Lambton College, was stabbed in December last year in in Sarnia, police said, according to a PTI report. It happened during an altercation in Canada’s Ontario.

The police had nabbed and charged the victim’s housemate with second-degree murder in connection with the case. They had received an emergency regarding a stabbing information at 194 Queen Street, where Singh and the 36-year-old accused Crossley Hunter were living.