Ludhiana, Jan 13: A targeted shooting in West Abbotsford has claimed the life of 28-year-old Navpreet Singh Dhaliwal, a Canada-born youth with roots in Sudhar village, Ludhiana. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) confirmed the incident is tied to the volatile drug gang conflict currently destabilizing British Columbia.
The fatal encounter occurred just after midnight on January 9 at a residence in the 3200 block of Siskin Drive. Reports from the scene indicate that intruders forced their way into the home while Dhaliwal was studying.
“They broke open the door and shot a bullet in Navpreet’s leg while he was preparing for an exam in his study,” said Mehar Singh Dhaliwal, a former Block Committee chairman and relative of the deceased. “Before his mother could call police, the intruders had finished their job.”
The victim’s father, Gurjinder Singh Dhaliwal, was at a local hospital tending to his elderly father at the time of the attack. Police noted that the victim succumbed to his injuries on-site despite emergency interventions.
Responsibility for the killing was claimed via social media by Dony Bal and Mohabbat Randhawa. The duo alleged that Dhaliwal was planning an attack against them in Surrey, stating they acted first to prevent their own deaths. Bal has previously been linked to the high-profile murders of Sarpanch Jarmal Singh and Kabaddi promoter Rana Balachaur.
Canadian law enforcement agencies noted that Dhaliwal was a known figure within the provincial gang landscape. He had been arrested in 2024 following a major drug trafficking investigation by the Abbotsford Police Drug Enforcement Unit and was living under court-ordered movement and social media restrictions at the time of his death.
