NEW DELHI: A 27-year-old Indian national, identified as Dharmesh Kathireeya, was stabbed to death on Friday in what is suspected to be a racially motivated attack. However, the authorities denied the racial angle.
Kathireeya, who moved to Canada in 2019 as an international student, was attacked in his apartment building in Rockland, a township located just outside Ottawa.
The incident occurred in the afternoon when Kathireeya was exiting a shared laundry room in the building. According to witnesses, he was approached and stabbed by a neighbour, a white male in his 60s, who had previously allegedly used racial slurs and anti-Indian remarks at Kathireeya and his wife.
Kathireeya, originally from Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, India, was living in Canada on a work permit. He had been employed at Milano Pizza in Rockland, which had temporarily closed following his death.
In an emotional statement, the pizza restaurant expressed their deep sorrow on a social media post, “It is with deep sadness that we announce the temporary closure of Milano Pizza. Our beloved manager, Dharmesh, tragically passed away in a terrible incident on April 4.”
An online fundraiser launched in Kathireeya’s memory described the attack as a "senseless and unprovoked hate crime". The fundraiser’s message stated, “It is with profound sadness and heartbreak that we share the tragic and sudden loss of our dear friend, Dharmesh. The violence that ended his life has left his family, friends, and the entire community in shock and mourning.”
The alleged attacker was taken into police custody shortly after the incident. However, his identity has not been disclosed. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the stabbing.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa expressed their sorrow in a post on social media, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa due to a stabbing. Police have stated that a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact with a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved family.”
Kathireeya’s family in India was informed of his death on Saturday, sources said.