CHANDIGARH: Comedian Kapil Sharma's cafe in Surrey, British Columbia in Canada, 'Kap's Café', was shot at by unidentified assailants on Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Sources said, Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi, who is reportedly a member of the banned Khalistani militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The bullets not only hit the cafe, but also nearby buildings. The attack has triggered panic among locals and Indian diaspora in Canada.
Laddi reportedly claimed that the attack was prompted by comments allegedly made by Sharma in the past, sources said.
Sources further stated that authorities in Canada are investigating whether the firing was meant as an act of personal intimidation or was part of broader pattern of threats made by pro-Khalistani operatives abroad.
However, there is no official confirmation from the police yet; comedian Sharma has also not come out with a statement.
Videos from the alleged incident dated July 9 have gone viral on social media. The videos show a man firing at least nine shots with a pistol from a moving vehicle. Police are yet to verify these clips as investigation is still going on.
Sources further claimed that, as per Surrey police, several rounds were fired at the property as bullet marks were found on the cafe’s facade as well as on nearby residential buildings. The area has been sealed off and CCTV footage is being scanned, besides a forensic investigation.
Laddi is wanted by the National Investigation Agency for the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Vikas Prabhakar alias Vikas Bagga, who was shot dead at his shop in Rupnagar district of Punjab in April last year. Laddi hails from SBS Nagar district in Punjab and is listed among India’s most wanted by the NIA.
The cafe, a joint venture between Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath, opened three days back. The cafe has been attracting a lot of attention from the Indian diaspora.