Prominent Indo-Canadian radio broadcaster targeted in drive-by shooting

VANCOUVER - Marinder Gill, a prominent Indo-Canadian radio broadcaster from Surrey, B.C., whose home was targeted in a drive-by shooting early Monday morning, has requested for police protection.

Gill, 47, who is the station manager of Radio India, said he was upstairs sleeping with his family when he heard someone fire about 10 shots into the living room of his Panorama Ridge home around 12:30 a.m.

He thought someone was firing a machine gun. And then, there was complete silence, he said in an interview on Monday. He did not see anything moving.

Police arrived at his house 16 minutes later, having received numerous calls of gunshots on the street from neighbours as well as a call from Gill around 12:30 a.m.

The Globe and Mail quoted police as saying that around 10 shots were fired at Gill’s house in a drive-by shooting. No one was injured. Police did not take anyone into custody.

The late-night shooting is the latest twist in a series of events involving Gill, a prominent figure in the region’s Indo-Canadian community.

Gill is currently facing aggravated assault and firearms charges after a shooting last month during a wedding at a Sikh temple in Surrey. Also, Radio India, Gill and others are facing charges of defamation for broadcasts in May.

Constable Peter Neily said yesterday the Panorama Ridge shooting was a targeted incident.

“There are no elements of randomness to this shooting,” he stated in a news release. (ANI)