Canada court sentences killer of Ghaziabad student Kartik Vasudev to life imprisonment
Toronto/Ghaziabad (PTI): A court in Toronto has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after rejecting his plea of not being criminally responsible due to a mental disorder in the killing of Indian student Kartik Vasudev, his family said on Tuesday.
The Superior Court of Toronto, presided over by Justice Jane Kelly, on Monday found Richard Edwin guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of two strangers on April 7 and April 9, 2022, according to the Global News Toronto.
While Edwin admitted to shooting the 21-year-old Vasudev, a resident of Ghaziabad and a student of Seneca College, his defence argued that he should be declared not criminally responsible (NCR) as he was suffering from a mental disorder and could not distinguish right from wrong.
The court acknowledged that Edwin was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the incident but rejected the NCR plea and awarded him life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The judgment, published in the Global News Toronto and shared with PTI by the victim's father, detailed the sequence of events leading to the killing. It stated that Vasudev was walking past Sherbourne station towards the Bloor Street East staircase when Edwin rushed past him, turned back and fired multiple shots at his back.
Speaking to PTI from Toronto, the victim's father Jitesh Vasudev said he and his wife had remained in Canada to attend the final hearing.
"After a legal battle of four years, we have finally received justice," he said.
Vasudev had moved to Toronto in January 2022 to pursue management studies but was killed within months. His body was later repatriated to Ghaziabad and cremated on the banks of the Hindan river, where his younger brother performed the last rites.
Earlier, speaking to PTI, Jitesh Vasudev had expressed concern over the lack of official assistance during the transportation of the body from the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the absence of district officials at the time of cremation.
The family resides in Rajendra Nagar in the Trans-Hindan area, and Vasudev was an alumnus of DAV School in the locality.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
