British ColumbiaThe family of Darshan Singh Sahsi is trying to piece together why someone would want him dead as police say his murder is not tied to a wave of extortion cases, although targeted.Darshan Singh Sahsi, 68, was shot on the morning of Oct. 27 in a residential areaChad Pawson · CBC News · Posted: Nov 10, 2025 4:01 PM EST | Last Updated: November 10Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A portrait of Darshan Singh Sahsi shown at a memorial held in his honour in Surrey, B.C., on Saturday Nov. 8, 2025. (CBC News)The family of Darshan Singh Sahsi is trying to piece together why someone would want him dead as police say his murder is not tied to a wave of extortion cases, although targeted.Hundreds of people, including politicians from all three levels of government, attended a memorial honouring the 68-year-old on Saturday, two weeks after he was gunned down in an Abbotsford neighbourhood.“My dad never received a single call for extortion, that’s a fact,” said son Arpan Sahsi at the memorial at a Surrey banquet hall. “He never exploited a single employee out of the thousands who worked for him and he had no connection to drugs, none.“My dad stood for hard work, honesty and righteousness.”Police in Abbotsford have not announced any arrests in connection with Sahsi’s death.WATCH | Frustration at Darshan Singh Sahsi memorial over crime:Community demands answers at slain Abbotsford businessman’s vigilHundreds gathered in Surrey, B.C., to pay their respects to well-known businessman Darshan Singh Sahsi who was shot dead last month. As Baneet Braich tells us, community members rallied to raise concerns about public safety.The memorial was not only to reflect on the life of Sahsi, who was the president of Canam International, which his family says is one of the world’s largest clothing recyclers, but to rally against a wave of crime in communities like Surrey, Abbotsford and Delta.“Today we light these candles not only to remember my father but to ignite change,” said Arpan Sahsi.Police don’t believe Sahsi’s death is related to extortion, which has become a central public safety issue in several communities.Police say individuals or businesses in predominantly South Asian communities are receiving threatening demands for money by letters, phone calls, text messages or social media.Surrey, Abbotsford and Delta have reported more than 100 extortion incidents in 2025 combined.WATCH | B.C. extortion wave dates back to two years:Pattern of extortions targeted at B.C.’s South Asian community comes to lightExtortion cases are mounting in B.C. Police say there’s been an explosion of incidents since the summer. Residents and business owners in places that have been particularly affected — like Surrey and Abbotsford — say they want to see more arrests. CBC’s Sohrab Sandhu has been covering the cases extensively over the past two years and explains how we got here.’Compassion, courage, integrity’“Darshan lived with compassion, courage, integrity,” said Navi Sahsi about his father.“Across Canada community leaders are being hunted in a wave of extortion, arson and violence. Canadians deserve answers. Who funds it? Who directs it? And why hasn’t Ottawa stopped it?”Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Canadian Sen. Baltej Dhillon, himself a retired career police officer, and B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger spoke at the vigil and stressed that all levels of government were working on the issue.“We are ensuring that the police have all the tools necessary to investigate these crimes and to bring perpetrators to account,” said Krieger.“We must find different ways, we must think beyond the Criminal Code of Canada,” said Dhillon. “We need change in how we address these issues.”On Friday, the Canada Border Services Agency announced that as part of a special extortion task force, immigration investigations have been launched into 78 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible, and three people related to the investigations have been removed from Canada. Communities in Fear town hallCBC News will host a town hall on extortion crime on Thursday, Nov. 13.Called Communities in Fear, it will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT at Surrey Arts Centre at 13750 88 Ave. and is free to the public to attend and share their thoughts and opinions.The town hall will feature CBC News reporters who have been working on stories about the issue, and will include police, politicians and community leaders.To register, please visit here.With files from Baneet Braich, Sohrab Sandhu, and Jon Hernandez
Hundreds mourn slain Abbotsford, B.C., businessman, as family calls for change
