In a shocking incident that took place in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA), a 66-year-old senior citizen visiting from India was stabbed 17 times in broad daylight while taking his granddaughter out in a stroller.
The alleged assault took place on Tuesday morning when Dilip Kumar Dholani, a resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat who was visiting his son and granddaughter in Canada, was out for a stroll with his toddler granddaughter in Oshawa in GTA.
The accused has been identified as Noah Denyer and taken into custody. Denyer, who used to reportedly live in the same area earlier, has been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
According to the locals and police officials, Dholani fought bravely as Noah kept attacking him and stabbed him repeatedly. All along, the elderly person was reportedly shielding his granddaughter and kept crying for help. It was only after a few minutes that the neighbors heard his cries and rushed to his rescue. Currently, Dholani has been admitted to a local hospital and is reportedly in a very critical state. While the police has stated that the assault was a ‘random’ incident, the accused was “previously known to the officers”.
Already, the Indian community in Canada has been at the receiving end of racial attacks. The fresh incident has sparked outrage throughout the neighbourhood. Addressing the incident, the leader of Canada’s principal opposition Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, has condemned the act. “A grandfather was randomly attacked with a knife in a quiet suburban neighbourhood while taking his granddaughter out for a stroll. When did horrors like this one become natural?” Poilievre asked.
