B.C. café owned by Bollywood star again targeted by gunfire

For the second time in less than a month, a cafe in Surrey owned by a Bollywood star has been shot up.

A café owned by a Bollywood celebrity in Surrey, B.C., has been damaged by gunfire for the second time in less than a month, with a video of the attack again circulating on social media.

Police were outside Kap’s Café in the city’s Newton neighbourhood on Thursday morning, where several windows had been shattered by bullets in the overnight shooting.

Forensic investigators are examining at least one “Molotov cocktail-type” device found on the ground outside the business, Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Surrey Police Service confirmed.

Officers were called to the restaurant, which is owned by prominent Indian actor and comedian Kapil Sharma, for reports of gunfire at approximately 4:40 a.m.

The café was targeted in a similar shooting on July 10, just days after the business opened its doors in the 8400 block of 120 Street. Investigators believe the attacks are connected.

Staff were inside the business during both incidents but no injuries were reported.

“We are currently working to establish a potential motive,” Houghton told reporters at the scene. “That motive has not yet been established, however none have currently been ruled out.”

A video of the July shooting was recorded from the shooter’s perspective and posted to social media, showing 10 gunshots fired at the business from inside a vehicle.

A similar video was uploaded to social media after Thursday’s shooting, showing at least one shooter standing outside a vehicle and firing multiple shots at the café.

Investigators are examining the latest video “and it is now evidence in this investigation,” Houghton said.

News outlets in India blamed a Khalistani separatist leader for the July shooting, while advocacy group Sikhs for Justice dismissed the reports as “a disinformation campaign” meant to discredit the movement to establish an independent Sikh state of Khalistan.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or who has video related to the incident to contact the Surrey police non-emergency line at 604-599-0502.

“The people who are behind these incidents clearly have absolutely no regard for public safety,” Houghton said.

Elenore Sturko, the B.C. Conservative shadow minister for public safety, said in a social media post that recent shootings and extortion cases in Surrey are making residents “feel increasingly unsafe.”

The Surrey-Cloverdale MLA wrote in a separate post that “it’s time to increase the resolution of Surrey’s traffic cameras to capture licence plates and faces” to help police identify suspects in such incidents. Sturko later deleted that post.