VOIWORLD
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang publicly claimed responsibility for the killing. A post on social media, allegedly by a gang member known as Goldy Dhillon, said the motive was Sahsi’s refusal to pay “protection money” and alleged his involvement in drug trafficking. According to the claim, Sahsi was asked for money, refused, blocked the gang’s number, and was thus targeted. Sahsi’s younger son, Arpan Sahsi, strongly denied the extortion and threat narrative. He said neither his father nor the family had received any calls demanding money, nor had they been threatened. He described his father as a hardworking entrepreneur who built his business from scratch, and stated “no one benefits from killing my father”. Sahsi originally hailed from Rajgarh village near Ludhiana in Punjab, India. He emigrated to Canada in 1991, did several jobs including fishing, plumbing, mechanics before establishing himself in the textile recycling business.
He founded and led the Canam Group (or Canam International), a textile recycling enterprise with international presence and significant employment.
Notably, he was also vocal about the drug addiction issues in Punjab, especially after losing a nephew to drug misuse. At around 9:22 a.m. local time on Monday morning, in the quiet suburbs of Abbotsford, British Columbia, a sudden eruption of violence shattered the routine of an otherwise ordinary day. On the 31300 block of Ridgeview Drive, a 68-year-old man sat in his parked car. Moments later, he would be fatally shot.
The man was Darshan Singh Sahsi — originally from the village of Rajgarh near Doraha, in the Ludhiana district of India. Sahsi was far from a quiet expatriate. Over the years, he rose to become the President of Canam International, one of the world’s prominent clothing recycling companies. The New Indian Express+1
While his business interests in Canada were substantial, he maintained ties with Punjab as well. The reports say he ran a successful enterprise in Canada, and “also had business interests in Punjab.” The Indian Express
Those who knew him in the diaspora community describe him as a leader — a figure who had climbed from village origins to global business forums, bridging two worlds.
Witnesses and police accounts converge on the same unfortunate sequence: a parked car, a shooter lying in wait, a burst of gunfire. According to the Abbotsford Police Department statement: they responded to a shooting report at about 9:22 a.m. and found Sahsi inside a parked vehicle, having sustained life-threatening injuries. He died at the scene.
Media reports add chilling detail: the assailant had apparently been waiting near the residence for nearly two hours before taking action.
No arrests had been reported at the time of writing, and the motive remains unclear.
For the Punjabi community in Canada and back in Punjab, the news was a jolt. In his home village near Doraha, the story of a “local lad who made it big abroad” turned tragic overnight. In Abbotsford and the larger Lower Mainland region, where a vibrant Punjabi diaspora thrives, the killing sent ripples of fear and speculation.
People asked: Was this a targeted hit? Was it business-related, personal, or connected to his cross-border ties?
The police describe the homicide as a “targeted killing.” The Times of India+1 Given the precision of the attack — shooter waiting in a vehicle, timing of the strike — investigators are exploring various leads. Some early reports hint at a possible ransom or extortion angle: sources say Sahsi had reportedly received ransom calls in the past, which he ignored.
But as of now, authorities have not disclosed a confirmed motive or named any suspects. In India, the incident has drawn attention both in M Punjab and among diaspora watchers. In Ludhiana, local media coverage has emphasised his roots in Rajgarh village, stressing the loss to the local “success story” turned tragedy.
Sahsi’s story reflects the complexities of globalised enterprise and diaspora identity. On one hand, his is a success narrative: emigrating from India, establishing a major company abroad, and maintaining connections at home. On the other, the transnational dimension can bring risk — business disputes that cross borders, varying legal regimes, and sometimes the exposure to threats unknown in the home context. The reports of prior ransom calls cannot be ignored, though they are unconfirmed. They raise the question of whether someone saw him as a target — either because of his personal wealth, global business operations or cross-border linkages.
Canadian police have seen a rise in complex crime involving diaspora business figures, but each case remains distinct. For the local Indian origin community in British Columbia, this killing will likely amplify concerns about vulnerability of successful business people.
Investigators in Abbotsford now face a challenging task: reconstructing the earlier hours of the shooting, locating the parked vehicle from which shots were fired, identifying the shooter and any accomplices, and establishing motive. Given the international dimension — his origin in India and business interests both in Canada and Punjab — the case may involve cross-jurisdictional inquiries.
In the meantime, the loss is personal and communal. For his family, friends and community, the space where pride once lived has now become haunted by grief. For diaspora observers, the incident is a reminder of how success abroad does not always insulate one from danger.
Darshan Singh Sahsi’s life was a testament to ambition, migration and achievement. His death — outside his home, in a transit moment — is a stark reminder that tragedy can strike even amid the familiar.
As the probe deepens and the investigation continues, many will be watching: the Canadian authorities, the Indian-Canadian community, and indeed the village in Ludhiana that once regarded his journey with pride. The hope is that justice will follow swiftly, not only for the sake of one man’s memory but for the reassurance of many who follow similar paths across continents.
