It is with great sadness that we report another death today of an innocent man, an innocent man who is a part of our sangat (ਸੰਗਤ).
On Sunday morning, September 5th, Prabhjot Singh Katri (23 years old) was found brutally murdered on the streets of Truro, Nova Scotia. Prabhjot Singh was born and raised in India. After traveling to Canada in 2017 to further his higher education, the young man took up two part time jobs to aid his family financially back home in India. Prabhjot Singh was a young man looking to start his life in a new country all while hoping to give his family the best life they could have. Prabhjot Singh’s boss, Darlene MacDonald spoke to his character stating, “Prabhjot was a very kind, hard-working gentleman… He'd make you laugh, even if you were in a crappy mood. He knew how to make you feel happy." Prabhjot Singh was living with his sister and her husband at the time in an apartment in Truro. While he was making his way home from work as a taxi driver on the night of Saturday, September 4th, he was attacked by an unknown assailant. Nothing was taken from him, his wallet and identification remained with him during the crime. He succumbed to his wounds later that night and was found the next morning deceased, near the Robie Street Apartment Building.
This has not been the first murder of a Sikh indivudal unfortunetly, countless other Sikh’s have been murdered throughout Canada, the United States, and many other countries claming to be accepting and diverse. Friends and family of Prabhjot Singh are adamant that the young man did not have any enemies, or people in his life that would mean him harm. Which begs the question, why has another young innocent Sikh individual been brutally murdered? Why would anyone want to harm Prabhjot Singh? Why would anyone want to harm a young man trying to make his way in the world? Many in the Indo-Canadian community believe that this barbaric act of violence was a hate crime, motivated by someone’s prejudice and hate of Sikh individuals.
While the Truro police department and their Chief, David MacNeil has yet to state that the murder may have been racially motivated. The Deputy Chief of Police, Robert Hearn states that "the investigation is ongoing and there is no risk to the general public at this time." However countless Indo-Canadians have stated that they “feel very unsafe.” Amidst this act of senseless violence, it is completely reasonable for friends and family of Prabhjot Singh, and others in the Indo-Canadian community who did not personally know Prabhjot Singh, to feel petrified.
While the police department arrested a man who they thought may have committed the crime, they released him from police custody shortly thereafter due to lack of substantial evidence. This person, name not given, will still remain a person of interest. However, given that the murderer who committed this heinous crime is still at large, it is safe to say that the Truro Indo-Canadian community will feel unsafe for the foreseeable future. In these turbulent times, it is imperative that the Sikh community come together. Not just to support the family of Prabhjot Singh, but to support each other in the midst of such hate and violence. It is our hope that the perpetrator will be caught soon and will not have a chance to harm anyone else.
Please take this time to remember Prabhjot Singh Katir, a loving, kind, young man that was taken from this earth too soon. Please consider donating to Prabhjot's family GoFundMe page. His family is trying to raise enough money to send Prabhjot's body back to his family in India.
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