BENGALURU: Shock, disbelief and grief engulfed this family in Nelamangala after they received news that their son, who was working as a software engineer in Canada, had been shot dead in Toronto.
In a statement on Sunday, the Toronto Police Service identified the victim as Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar (37) of Brampton. On Saturday, at approximately 3:31 pm, police responded to a call for a shooting in the parking lot of Woodbine Shopping Centre located at Rexdale Boulevard and Highway 27, the statement said.
Speaking through tears, Chandan’s mother, Shailaja, on Monday said, “Around 8 pm on Sunday, we received an international call. My husband answered it, but we could not understand what the caller was saying as he spoke in English.
They called us two or three times. My husband tried calling Chandan repeatedly, but he did not answer. We thought he might be busy at work,” she recalled.
Jealousy may have led to the attack, says Chandan’s mom
“A little later, we received another call and I received the call. A Telugu-speaking person asked whether Chandan Kumar’s father was Nanda Kumar. When I said yes, he told us that Chandan was no more. I was completely shocked,” Chandan’s mother, Shailaja, said breaking down.
Shailaja said her son had been living in Canada for the past few years and had formed a community of Kannada-speaking people there. “He worked hard and had grown professionally. Maybe someone could not tolerate his progress,” she said, alleging that jealousy may have led to the attack. Chandan’s father, Nanda Kumar, a retired teacher, sat silently at their home in Thyamagondlu village, said, “I last spoke to my son on Friday. I wanted to find a suitable bride for him and get him married.
He had told me that he would take leave from work and come home,” he said. “I don’t know what to say anymore. I only request the Government of India to help us bring my son’s body back home,” he pleaded. A relative said Chandan was the first person from the family to travel abroad. “He was a bright student, very social, and deeply attached to his roots.”
As per agency reports, the police officers found a man with gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but he succumbed at the hospital.
The suspect, or suspects, fled the scene in a vehicle. Images taken from the scene show a white SUV with bullet holes in the windshield and a shattered window on the driver’s side. While it said the circumstances surrounding the shooting are not known, officers believe it was a “targeted” incident and not “random”. The police are still working to gather details on how many suspects there are and how many gunshots were fired.
(With inputs from agencies)