BENGALURU: Relatives of Karnataka-born tech professional Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar, who was shot dead in a daylight attack outside a Toronto shopping mall, suspect that his efforts to form a Kannada association in Toronto may have played a role in what police are treating as a “targeted” killing. While the Toronto Police Service (TPS) has not indicated any motive so far, family members said Chandan was actively involved in organising Kannada cultural activities and was in the process of bringing together members of the community under a formal association. “We spoke to him last Friday. He said he would take leave and come home this summer. We were planning for his marriage. We are completely shattered,” his father, Nandakumar, said from their native Thyamagondlu village near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district. The 37-year-old computer science graduate from Sapthagiri College, Bengaluru, had moved to Canada about six years ago and was working with LTI Mindtree, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. He had earlier worked with Cognizant in Bengaluru. Chandan was seated inside his SUV when unidentified assailants opened fire near the entrance of Woodbine Shopping Centre, close to Rexdale Boulevard, around 3.30 pm local time on Saturday. Police said he sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later succumbed. Visuals from the scene showed Chandan’s white vehicle riddled with bullet holes, prompting investigators to classify the shooting as a “targeted” attack. The suspects fled in another vehicle, and no arrests have been made so far. This is Toronto’s third homicide this year. TPS Inspector Errol Watson said the incident had raised public safety concerns. “I can understand how a shooting like this, especially at a mall, can cause concern for the safety of the public,” he told reporters. The killing has sent shockwaves through the Indian diaspora in Canada, particularly among Kannadigas. Friends said Chandan was deeply involved in Kannada cultural circles in Toronto, promoting films, music and community events. Family members said he had repeatedly postponed returning to India. “Had he listened to us and come back earlier, he would have been with us now,” his father said. Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said the state government was coordinating with the ministry of external affairs to bring Chandan’s body back to India. Chikkaballapur MP K Sudhakar said he was also in touch with MEA officials to facilitate the repatriation. His uncle, Murali Krishna, said the family was unable to understand why he was targeted. “He had built a stable life abroad and was working hard. He was the only son. We don’t know why this happened,” he said.
