Punjabi man killed after defending friend from racist remarks in Mississauga
Jagjit Singh Sandhu died from a neck wound after intervening in a racist confrontation outside a Mississauga shelter, and a woman has been charged with attempted murder.
Jagjit Singh Sandhu was fatally stabbed on September 6 outside a shelter on Dundas Street East in Mississauga after stepping in to protect a fellow Punjabi man who had been subjected to racist remarks by a woman's boyfriend. The altercation escalated, and a woman allegedly approached Sandhu from behind, stabbing him in the right side of the neck, causing critical blood loss and brain death. Peel Regional Police first arrested a man involved in the earlier dispute but later cleared him, subsequently identifying Lorena Sanchez as the suspect; she was apprehended on September 7 and charged with attempted murder.
Sandhu was taken to hospital in critical condition and later declared brain dead. His sister, Jaspreet Kaur, accused police of failing to notify the family for three days and of insufficient media reporting, raising concerns about safety for Indian and Punjabi youths in Canada.
Why it matters
The case highlights concerns over hate-motivated violence and police communication with victims' families in Canada.
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