Shivank Avasthi, A 20-year-old Indian student, was shot dead on December 23 in Toronto, Canada. Toronto Police have described the killing as the city’s 41st homicide this year. The incident has shaken Toronto’s Indian community and raised safety concerns for international students.
Toronto Police Officers found Avasthi suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced him dead at the scene. The suspects had fled before police arrived, and as of December 26, no arrests have been made.
Investigators have not disclosed a motive and have said the incident appears “isolated,” with no ongoing threat to the public.
Who Was Shivank Avasthi?
Avasthi was a student at UTSC, reportedly in his third year of life sciences, and a member of the university’s cheerleading team. The team paid tribute to him on Instagram, calling him a “supportive teammate who brought smiles to everyone’s faces” and stating he would “always be part of our UTSC Cheer family.”
The shooting occurred near one of UTSC’s popular trail systems along the Highland Creek valley. The university issued a “shelter-in-place advisory” while police investigated.
Indian Response
The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed “deep anguish” over Avasthi’s killing on December 25 and stated it was in close contact with local authorities to assist his family.
The Consulate referred to him as a “young Indian doctoral student,” while other sources identified him as an undergraduate.
Rising Hate, Violence Against Indians in Canada
Last week, Himanshi Khurana, a 30-year-old Indian national, was found murdered in Toronto. Police released an image of the victim that matched a social media profile where she described herself as a Toronto-based digital creator. Canadian authorities confirmed the killing and issued a search warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori on a charge of first-degree murder.
According to reports, the recent surge of incidents targeting Indians coincides with rising tensions between India and Canada, contributing to a climate of discrimination. Much of this xenophobia has been linked to anti-immigration rhetoric online, particularly in social media comments and TikTok videos mocking Indians.
Increased immigration has fueled narratives blaming societal problems on immigrants. Anti-India rhetoric has influenced public discourse and shaped harmful perceptions, according to experts.
Recent Violence Cases Against Indians In Canada
Several incidents in Canada have raised alarm within the Indian community:
Arvi Singh Sagoo, a 55-year-old Canadian-Indian businessman, was attacked by a stranger in Edmonton after confronting him for urinating on his car. Sagoo died on October 24, five days after the attack.
Darshan Singh Sahsi, a 68-year-old Indian-origin businessman, was murdered on October 27 outside his Abbotsford, B.C., home. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility.
Days before Sahsi’s death, three men claiming to be associates of gangster Rohit Godara released a video confessing to shooting Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon in the stomach. The video alleged that Kahlon was supplying arms and conspiring against their gang.
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik On Rising Violence Against Indian’s
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, expressed concerns over the safety of Indians in the country. In a CTV News interview, he said:
“Is Canada safe for Indians here? Is Canada safe for itself? Because Canada cannot look at the situation as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem.”
Patnaik highlighted recent attacks, including shots fired at a Vancouver restaurant owned by Indian comedian Kapil Sharma.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
