Brampton: A targeted shooting outside an Indian restaurant in Brampton has renewed intense security concerns regarding extortion networks in Canada after a social media post claiming responsibility for the attack went viral. The incident occurred at the “Dal Roti” restaurant located on Lightbeam Terrace, where unidentified individuals opened fire before fleeing the scene. No injuries were immediately reported, but the audacity of the targeted firing has shaken the local South Asian diaspora.
Shortly after the shooting, a social media statement surfaced from an individual identifying himself as “Raja Pehalwan,” who claimed that he and an associate, Nikka Sandhu, carried out the firing. The post explicitly aligned the perpetrators with the notorious Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar criminal syndicate, describing Godara as a “brother.” The attackers portrayed the shooting as a coercive warning rather than a random act of violence, alleging that the restaurant owner had systematically failed to pay outstanding wages owed to several international students employed at the venue. The message further claimed that prior attempts to settle the dispute through discussions were ignored, warning that future failure to pay would result in direct violence at the owner’s private residence.
While Canadian law enforcement agencies have not yet officially confirmed a definitive link between the shooting and transnational organized crime syndicates, investigators are actively reviewing the digital footprint and authenticity of the viral threats. The incident follows a pattern of targeted violence against South Asian businesses. It aligns closely with a recent special bulletin from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), which warned that major gangs are increasingly utilizing vulnerable, young Indian nationals on study permits as foot soldiers to enforce coercion campaigns. FINTRAC also noted that smaller criminal groups and copycat actors are actively exploiting the fearsome reputation of major international gangs to amplify their independent extortion demands across the region.
