Punjabi singer Karan Aujla recently spoke out about why he left Canada for Dubai in 2023. Putting it bluntly, he did it for his family’s safety.
On Raj Shamani’s podcast, he got real about the threats and violence he faced in Canada, including multiple extortion attempts and people literally shooting at his house.
Karan Aujla Reveals Why He Left Canada
We’re not talking about some one-off scare, either. Karan said his home has been shot at six times. Six. The first time, back in 2019, it happened twice in a row.
All because he refused to pay off people trying to extort him. Their message was basically: “Pay up or forget about performing shows, forget about coming to Punjab or India.” He ignored them, and, well, bullets started flying.
And just when he thought maybe things had calmed down? Nope. More shots were fired. Karan pointed out how homes in Canada are often made of wood, so bullets just rip right through. There’s no real protection, even if you’re hiding inside.
Aujla didn’t sugarcoat how tough it is for public figures in Canada. According to him, if you aren’t flaunting your success, maybe you’re fine. But if people know who you are, or see you making money, you’re a target. “If you’re too visible, it’s a tough life there,” he said.
Karan Aujla on Surviving Canada Violence
When someone asked where he feels safest, his answer was simple: Punjab. It’s not an easy choice, but for him, Punjab just feels more secure than anywhere else.
He also called out the limitations of local authorities. They’re doing what they can, but if someone fires shots at your house at 3 a.m. from a stolen car, what can the police really do? Even if they catch someone, it’s probably just a hired hand. The real mastermind is somewhere far away, totally out of reach.
Karan’s heard people criticizing him for leaving Canada with some saying he ran away out of fear. He doesn’t buy that. He talked about seeing too much loss in his life to care about immature opinions. “Some people don’t know what it’s like to lose someone, but they’ll still tell me I was scared and ran away?” he shot back.
One story he shared was genuinely terrifying. The second time his house got shot up, he was asleep in bed. Three bullets came right through the wall, just missing him. He pointed out that if he’d been killed, nobody would’ve cared about his wife or sisters left behind. “You can’t do everything with just bravery. Sometimes you have to use your head,” he said.
