Tragic loss of Indian student in Hamilton sparks safety conversations

In April, Hamilton Police reported the death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa, who was allegedly struck by a stray bullet during a clash between two rival groups in the city.

The 21-year-old student, from Punjab, was studying at Mohawk College in Hamilton. 

She was found by police, after reports of a shooting near Upper James and South Bend Road streets in Hamilton, with a gunshot wound to her chest and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

We believe that Hamilton is a safe community and like any other city in Canada, or around the world, senseless acts of violence like this are the exception and not the rule.

_{Sean Coffey, Mohawk College}

“We have connected with Harsimrat’s local family in Canada, and they have served as the conduit to her family in India. With our health insurance provider we have supported Harsimrat’s repatriation to India,” Sean Coffey, spokesperson, Mohawk College told The PIE News. 

“The family has attended the vigils that have been held, and we have been in touch with them many times over the course of the last few weeks to see if there is any other way we can support them.”

Although no suspects have been officially named, Hamilton Police executed a search warrant at a residence in central Hamilton, where they recovered a black Mercedes SUV believed to have been pursuing a white Hyundai Elantra at the time of the incident, during which the student may have been accidentally shot.

“I know from watching the video that it happened very quickly,” acting detective sergeant Daryl Reid of the Hamilton Police Service told reporters, as per a report by The National Post. 

“Harsimrat had zero capability of avoiding what was about to unfold in front of her. She had just stepped off a city bus (and) was waiting to cross the street from my understanding, and everything unfolded so quickly she had no time at all to react.” 

While the institute is not directly involved in the investigation, Coffey stated that Mohawk College is fully willing to cooperate with any relevant information.

“Mohawk College has a good relationship with the Hamilton Police Service and is cooperating with them when needed, as they conduct their investigation,” stated Coffey. 

“We believe that Hamilton is a safe community and like any other city in Canada, or around the world, senseless acts of violence like this are the exception and not the rule. The college is committed to maintaining the safety and security of our campuses and we have a number of tools and resources in place to protect our campus community.”

As Harsimrat’s family mourns her loss, the Indian Consulate in Toronto has stated that it is providing all necessary support to the bereaved family.

“We are in close contact with her family and are extending all necessary assistance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family during this difficult time,” said an X post by the Indian Consulate General in Toronto. 

The Indian student community has experienced a spate of unnatural deaths in April, raising serious concerns about student safety within Canada’s largest group of international students and immigrants.

Just weeks after Harsimrat’s death, another Indian student, Vanshika Saini, was found dead at an Ottawa beach on Monday, four days after she was reported missing.

While the cause of death remains under investigation, Vanshika’s family in India suspects foul play and is calling for a probe into the circumstances surrounding her death. 

“It is a great loss for the family and a tough time for us,” her father Davinder Saini, a local opposition leader in Punjab, told Indian news agency, PTI. 

“I also demand a proper investigation to be carried out,” he added.

According to the Indian Embassy in Ottawa, the matter has been taken up with the relevant authorities, and “it is in close contact with the bereaved family and local community associations to provide all possible assistance”.

Another Indian national, 29-year-old Dharmesh Kathireeya, who came to Canada as an international student in 2019, was allegedly killed by his 83-year-old neighbor in Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, on April 4.

Although some have suggested racial motives for the stabbing, the Ontario Provincial Police have not speculated on the cause of the attack.

This wave of incidents was not limited to April 2025 as in December of the previous year, three Indian students were killed in separate incidents across Canada, two of which resulted from violent occurrences.

The incidents prompted India’s Ministry of External Affairs to release a statement, describing them as “terrible tragedies”. 

“We are saddened at these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada. We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families. Our High Commission and Consulates in Toronto & Vancouver are extending all possible help in the matter. They are in touch with the local authorities for thorough investigations into these incidents,” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters back in December 2024. 

“We have also issued an advisory for our nationals and students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidence of hate crimes and criminal violence.” 

According to Joe Adam George, research analyst for national security and foreign policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, the rise in attacks on Indian students is a direct consequence of the Liberal government’s “soft-on-crime approach”, which he says has contributed to a 50% increase in violent crime over the past ten years.

“Since the Trudeau Government passed Bill C-75 and Bill C-5, which gave high priority to releasing repeat violent offenders and took away mandatory jail time for certain violent crimes such as gun violence, a crime wave has been unleashed across Canada. To compound matters, Trudeau’s weak bail reform Bill C-48, which came into effect early last year, allows repeat violent offenders to access easy bail,” stated George.

“Many Indian students often work late hours or use public transit to get around, which puts them in vulnerable positions. Hence, they become easy targets for such criminals.”

Over the past decade, Canada has experienced a significant rise in violent crime, with youth violent crime increasing by 10% from 2022 to 2023.

Despite a new Liberal cabinet, led by Mark Carney, taking over the reins of the Canadian government, George believes the situation would remain the same under the new leadership.

He said that Carney’s election platform was “quite light on policies to fight crime”.

“Hence, I do not see the newly elected Carney-led Liberal government repeal any of Trudeau’s disastrous policies,” stated George.

“I expect the status quo on Canada’s high crime rate to remain the same, if not worse, for the foreseeable future. My advice to immigrants and international students would be to take appropriate precautions to ensure they do not end up in vulnerable situations.”

Data released by the MEA in July last year revealed that 633 Indian students had died abroad over the past five years, with Canada recording the highest number of fatalities – 172 in total.

One such student was Kartik Vasudev, an international student in Toronto who was killed in a shooting incident in April 2022.

“Our life hasn’t been the same since three years ago, when we were together as a family. The news came as a shock. Even now, sometimes we still can’t believe it and feel as if Kartik is still in Canada, studying,” stated Jitesh Vasudev, Kartik’s father.

The student, who was working part-time at a Mexican restaurant in Toronto, was shot by a Canadian national outside the Sherbourne TTC station while on his way to his shift on the evening of April 7, 2022.

While a Canadian judge found the accused to be guilty of first-degree murder, the final trial date will be held later this year, with the Vasudev family hoping for justice.

“He was just coming out of the metro station, in a congested area. Where was the security, and what kind of protection does an international student receive? Anyone can walk down the street with a loaded gun and shoot someone,” stated Vasudev.

“We urge the government to put an end to this gun culture where anyone can buy a weapon and do whatever they want, ruining the lives of innocent people. We don’t want what happened to our son to happen to other students who go abroad to study with dreams, leaving their parents to suffer.”

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