Indian student shot dead in Toronto; Consulate expresses anguish

Toronto (Canada): The Consulate General of India in Toronto on Thursday (local time) expressed deep anguish over the killing of an Indian student in a shooting incident near the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.

In a statement posted on X, the Consulate said it is extending all necessary assistance to the deceased student’s family and remains in close coordination with local authorities.

"We express deep anguish over the tragic death of a young Indian doctoral student, Mr Shivank Avasthi, in a fatal shooting incident near the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. The Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family during this difficult time, and is extending all necessary assistance in close coordination with the local authorities," the Consulate General said.

Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Toronto Police said Shivank Avasthi was shot dead in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area. Officers who rushed to the scene found the victim with a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead on the spot, the Toronto Sun reported.

Police officials said the suspects fled before officers arrived, following which the campus was placed under lockdown as part of the investigation. According to the Toronto Sun, the incident marked Toronto’s 41st homicide of the year.

In a separate case earlier this week, Toronto Police said a 30-year-old Indian-origin woman was found murdered in the city, prompting the issuance of a Canada-wide arrest warrant for a suspect known to the victim.

The woman was identified as Himanshi Khurana, a Toronto resident. Police said they are searching for Abdul Ghafoori (32), also of Toronto, in connection with the case. According to CBC News, investigators believe the incident appears to involve “intimate partner violence.”

On Wednesday, India’s Consulate in Toronto expressed shock and sorrow over Khurana’s killing, stating in a post on X that it was "deeply saddened and shocked by the murder of. Himanshi Khurana, a young Indian national, in Toronto," and extended its "deepest condolences to her bereaved family during this moment of profound grief."

The Consulate said it has remained closely engaged with the matter over the past few days and continues to extend all possible assistance to the family in coordination with Canadian authorities as the investigations proceed. (ANI)