Kapil Sharma cafe shooting: Who is Harjeet Singh Laddi, Khalistani terrorist behind firing at Kap’s cafe

Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi, a most-wanted fugitive by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), has claimed responsibility for a firing incident at Kap’s Cafe, a newly opened restaurant reportedly linked to Indian comedian Kapil Sharma in Surrey, British Columbia.

The incident occurred late on the night of July 9, when unidentified assailants opened fire outside the premises of Kap’s Cafe. No injuries were reported.

Harjeet Singh Laddi is a Canada-based operative associated with the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), one of the oldest and organised Khalistan terrorist groups. He has been under surveillance for his involvement in extremist activities and is on the National Investigation Agency’s most-wanted list.

He is also the prime accused in the murder of Vikas Prabhakar, a senior leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), who was assassinated in Nangal, Punjab, in June 2024. Following the incident, the NIA launched an investigation that revealed a wider conspiracy involving Laddi, Kulbir Singh alias Sidhu, and other operatives.

The agency subsequently placed Laddi on its most-wanted list and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to his arrest.

REASON BEHIND THE ATTACK

According to sources, in an episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, a character made humorous remarks about the dress and behavior of Nihang Singhs, a traditional Sikh warrior order. These remarks were seen as mocking Sikh religious values and hurting the sentiments of the Nihang community.

“This is a mockery of Sikh spiritual traditions and the dignity of Nihang Singhs. No religion or spiritual identity should be ridiculed in the name of comedy,” a statement reportedly said.

“We tried to contact Kapil Sharma’s manager by calling him several times, but there was no response from him. All our calls were ignored,” the statement added and demanded a public apology from the comedian.

Nearly 12 bullets were fired at the restaurant, according to Canadian journalist Sameer Kaushal. A video the Canadian journalist shared on X showed multiple bullet marks on the glass windows of the cafe.

Surrey Police Service also issued a statement over the incident and informed that the officers are investigating a shots fired incident at a Newton neighbourhood business.

“On Thursday, July 10, at 1:50 am, Surrey Police Service was called to a business located in the 8400 block of 120 Street for a report of shots fired. Upon police arrival, it was quickly determined that the shots were fired towards the business, damaging the property, while staff members were still present inside,” Surrey Police Service said in the statement.

The police also added that the officers gathered evidence and canvassed the area for witnesses and surveillance video. “There is currently no suspect information available to share,” the statement further mentioned.

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