Indians Killing In Canada: A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student has been shot dead near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus in Canada, with authorities probing the case as a homicide, officials said. The shooting took place on Tuesday, and the Toronto police on Wednesday identified the victim as Shivank Avasthi, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Police were called to the area of Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at about 3:30 pm on Tuesday for a report of an injured person lying on the ground, Duty. Later, he was pronounced dead by the doctors.
Canadian journalist describes real condition
Reacting to the incident, Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman on Friday highlighted concerns over a growing culture of anti-Indian sentiment in the country following the deaths of two Indian students in Canada within a span of one week.
Speaking to news agency ANI on the murders, Broadman criticised the handling of such cases by local authorities, expressing scepticism about the police investigation and accusing Canadian law enforcement of incompetence in serious crimes while being overly aggressive in other matters.
Rising environment of anti-India sentiment in Canada
"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 said.
He noted that the two murders are likely unrelated, as they occurred in different provinces, separated by more than a day's drive.
"The two murders are probably not connected because they're in different provinces, more than a day's drive away from each other. 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," the Journalist said.
"And if this was a mean comment online about a government official that was not white, the person might be in jail for 50 years, but this is just a murder. So this is not that serious to the Toronto police. 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," he added.
FAQs on Indian nationals killed in Canada
Shivank Avasthi case?
20-year-old Indian UTSC student shot dead near campus on Dec 23, 2025. Homicide probe ongoing; no arrests or motive.
Himanshi Khurana case?
30-year-old Indian woman murdered in Toronto on Dec 20, 2025. Suspected domestic violence; warrant for partner Abdul Ghafoori. Unrelated to Avasthi.
Linked to anti-Indian sentiment?
Journalist Bordman alleges rising sentiment and police incompetence. But one case domestic, other's motive unknown; police say isolated incident.
Two Indians killed in a week
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.
ALSO READ: Indian Doctoral Student Shivank Avasthi Shot Dead In Canada; 2nd Murder Case In A Week
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 (32), 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.
(With inputs from agencies)