ADVOCATE Avneesh Thakur in Moga, Punjab, told Punjab media on Sunday that he’s angry that his brother Ritesh Thakur’s murder in Vaughn, north of Toronto, on May 4 has been linked to drug trafficking and has fired off letters to Canada’s prime minister and the RCMP demanding his killers be arrested quickly.
Avneesh told media on Sunday in Punjab: “My brother was falsely implicated in a case of narcotic smuggling. But the police could not find drugs in his possession. The case was under trial.”
He added: “Ritesh Thakur is survived by his wife and children aged 9 and 11. He had moved to Canada with his family with the dream of a better life. But he was killed in broad daylight at a shopping plaza by criminals with no fear of the law. He was a well-educated and respectable man.
“He was a lawyer and CPA of the United States by profession.”
Earlier this month, the Tribune had reported: “In Moga, meanwhile, Ritesh’s brothers Yogesh Thakur and Ashwani Thakur were shocked to hear the news of their brother’s murder. They told the media that Ritesh went to Canada about 13 years ago and was running a hotel in Toronto.”
This week, the newspaper reported that Ritesh’s body was brought to India by his family and cremated in Moga on May 15.
ONTARIO’S York Regional Police said in a press release earlier this month that they believed that Thakur’s murder “was a targeted crime and not a random event.”
He was gunned down in front of a HomeSense store near Highway 7 and Weston Road in Vaughan.
Police said: “Attending officers found a lone male victim laying in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”
Thakur, who was to appear in court later this month, was one of four men charged by Toronto Police in May 2013 for drug trafficking. At the time he was living in Mississauga.
Police seized $6.5 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and a drug known as GHB.
They said that three men were arrested on May 6, 2013, near Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard after they discovered 33 kg of cocaine in two cars.
Police later arrested a fourth man and recovered another 29 kg of cocaine, 3 kg of crystal meth and a small amount of liquid GHB.
Philipos Kollaros, 33, of Vancouver, Gursharan Singh, 29, of Mississauga, and Dimitri Alexiou, 36, of Quebec, all face drug trafficking and possession charges.
Mr. Ritesh Thakur ( Murder victim) was an innocent family guy. He was a respectable person and was a lawyer and Accountant by profession , but unfortunately became the victim in the hands of the criminals/shooters in a broad day light at shopping plaza on Sunday, May 4th 2014 due to poor law and order in Canada.
Police should ban the use of automatic weapons and gun violence, so that the life of the public be safe. Media should raise the voice for the arrest of the killers of this innocent man..
No face saving, I think some media persons are publishing the misleading and false news about the murder victim. The victim was a respectable man and I think all the allegations are false and baseless and the persons behind the killing are attempting to mislead the investigations with he help of false news about the victim. Why don’t the media put energy to stop the murders of innocent men in Canada.
I agree with the victim’s brother that if someone has to be blamed it is the trigger happy antisocial elements who have committed this heinous crime. Unfortunately the Canadian Police has not yet taken any action on the murderers! I knew Mr Ritesh Thakur and he was a very respectable person whose clear day light murder is being related to false implications to disillusion the Canadian Police.
I hope the law of the land will prevail, and the Canadian Police/RCMP will do their duty in all fairness and nab the culprits to bring justice to the victim’s family and make Canada a more livable place.
Media should help bring the Canadian government and RCMP’s focus on the increasing crime in Canada and in delivering justice without any delay.
We have received several more letters saying the same things. Those who want to know what Canadian media have had to report on the case can Google Ritesh Thakur’s name. – Editor