TRURO, NS – The violent murder of a 23-year-old Sikh taxi driver last weekend has left members of the Indian community in this small town in central Nova Scotia in shock and fear for their safety.
Prabhjot Singh, who was driving a taxi part-time, was found when Truro police responded to a call at an apartment building around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Singh was in critical condition and was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries. Police have not released much information about the crime scene or the victim’s injuries, but friends say he died violently, from a stabbing.
They have expressed concern on social media that his death was racially motivated, but although Truro police have deemed his death a homicide, Chief David MacNeil said they had no information on the motive for his murder.
Police executed a series of search warrants over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of one person, who was released without charge, but remains a person of interest.
At a vigil on Friday in Truro, with a population of 12,260, some 500 people showed up to mourn Singh and support his family.
With signs that read “We are afraid”, “Justice for Prabhjot Singh” and “Prabhjot deserved better”, the mourners marched through the streets of Truro, past the city hall, where the Indian flag was flying at half mast, until the apartment building where Singh was killed.
Almost half of that number were non-Indian Truro residents who were there to support the Indian members of their community.
“We appreciate all the people who come here to help us, to help my family get justice,” said Rajveer Kaur, Singh’s sister, tearfully.
“This is not just for the Indian community,” said Jobandeep Singh, a friend of Prabhjot Singh from the vigil and march. “This is for everyone. No one is safe here. That is what we feel. Because it could happen anytime, anywhere. (Singh’s murder) happened right in front of his house. That is why we are afraid ”.
“We thank everyone here for helping us raise our volume (of our voices) to help us do justice for our wonderful friend who is not with us today.
“We just want justice for him.”
Darlene MacDonald, Singh’s employer at Layton’s Taxi, remembers him as a calm, friendly, carefree man who had three part-time jobs to support his mother in India. Remember that he always had a smile for everyone, no matter what type of day he had.
She said she was in shock when she heard the news of his death, which was relayed to her by an employee who called her to tell her that he was not going to work due to Singh’s murder.
“We have lost four drivers this week,” he said. “The town of Truro has businesses that are closing at night now because they don’t have people to work night shifts because they were mainly friends and family and their community.”
“They are afraid. They think it’s a hate crime. Nobody knows what it is because there are no answers. “
An online fundraising campaign set up earlier in the week to raise funds to send Singh’s body back to India quickly surpassed its goal of $ 50,000.
Singh’s sister Kaur, who organized the GoFundMe campaign, wrote on the page that a “group of crazy guys” stabbed Singh as he was returning from a friend’s house.
“Help send the body (of) our dear friend to India, so that his parents can see their son one last time,” he wrote.
Truro police are investigating the crime.
Reference-www.thestar.com