Extortion threats prompt Hindu community in Canada to hold public forum

Ottawa, January 6

Leaders of the Hindu community in Canada’s Surrey are set to hold a public forum on Saturday over the “current law and order situation” in the Lower Mainland, Canada-based Global News reported.

The event, organised by the Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of British Columbia, comes in the wake of warnings by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of an extortion racket threatening local business owners.

It also follows a shooting incident on December 27 that appeared to target the house of the society’s president’s son. Although Satish Kumar’s son was not injured in the incident, bullet holes hit his property in Newton area.

Kumar, a business owner and president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, said, “The community is very scared right now.”

“A lot of people got phone calls and letters…I heard some people gave them the money too,” he was cited as saying according to Global News report.

Satish Kumar said his son’s family home was targeted by gunfire in December and although he and his family did not receive any extortion calls or letters, the rising violence has people on the edge.

The Metro Vancouver business owner said the incident had rattled him and he is calling for attendance at the forum in Surrey.

He said, “My children are afraid, my mom and dad are very afraid, you know, they don’t want me leaving the house.”

He said the recent arrests announced by Surrey RCMP did not offer much comfort.

In November, police in Abbotsford and the RCMP warned about disturbing letters that were circulating at the time that claimed to be from an “Indian gang” and demanded USD 2 million in “protection money”. The people who received the letter were given a month to comply or face retaliation and they were warned that if they went to police, there would be “no more letter, only bullet”.