‘Standing hand-in-hand’: South Asian community uniting amidst targeted crimes

Edmonton Police Service will hold a town hall Monday night to hear concerns from the South Asian community about targeted crime.

Ahead of a town hall Monday that will address a spike in crimes against Edmonton’s South Asian community, Buttar Gusharan said people standing together in solidarity.

“We are standing hand-in-hand and we are willing to face any challenge,” Gusharan told CTV News Edmonton Sunday.

Gursharan is the general manager and a journalist at My Radio 580.

He said while his community is staying strong, many are trying to stay under the radar to avoid getting targeted.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

“We have lost 14 accounts on the radio directly,” said Gusharan, adding that South Asian businesses are afraid of having their name, telephone number and locations public. “I know many people who are afraid.”

Many in the community are looking to move out of the country because they do not feel safe, Gusharan said.

The goal of the town hall is to strengthen the relationship between police and the community and ensure members feel comfortable reporting crimes to police.

While he hopes the town hall will fortify that relationship, Gusharan says more needs to be done.

“The government needs to come up with some solution very soon,” he said. “In a peaceful country like Canada, there is lawlessness, and that scares me.”

Edmonton police announced the town hall earlier this month after a surge in crimes against the city’s South Asian community.

Police say the incidents are believed to be tangentially related to Project Gaslight, a series of 40 arson, extortion and shootings targeting South Asian homebuilders in 2023 and 2024.

Investigators believe the current scheme is being run in a similar way to Project Gaslight, with higher ranking gang members ordering younger members to commit the crimes.

It is believed that one of the players could be the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The India Counter Terrorism law enforcement agency said that gang’s leader, Bishnoi, operates his syndicate from jails in different states, in India and through an associate in Canada.

Gusharan said the threats will often start with extortion over the phone where the victim is asked to provide a large amount of money. The perpetrators will go so far as to contact employers, colleagues, friends and family in order to get money from the victim.

B.C. Premier David Eby has called on the federal government to designate the gang as a terrorist organization in Canada.

When the Edmonton police held a town hall last year, Gusharan said it was a “game changer.”

“Lots of people came out to support, the police gave us all the information and there was trust built,” he said.

The town hall will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at the Southwood Community League.

Capacity is limited and anyone who wishes to attend is encouraged to register online.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg and Karyn Mulcahy