Indian student killed by stray bullet in Canada's Ontario
New York/ Tarn Taran, Apr 19 (PTI): A 21-year-old Indian student was killed in Canada after being struck by a stray bullet while waiting at a bus stop, as shots were fired from a passing car.
Harsimrat Randhawa, a student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, was on her way to work on Wednesday when the incident occurred. Hamilton Police, which is investigating the case as a homicide, called her an innocent bystander.
Back in Punjab, from where she hailed, her family has urged the Indian and state government for their assistance in bringing back her body.
In a statement, police said they received reports of a shooting near Upper James and South Bend Road streets at around 7.30 pm local time and found Randhawa there with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed.
Randhawa was struck by a bullet after a passenger in a black car opened fire on a white sedan, it said. Shortly after the shooting, the vehicles left the scene.
She hailed from Dhunda village in Goindwal Sahib in Punjab's Tarn Taran district.
Her grandfather Sukhwinder Singh in Tarn Taran said Randhawa had gone to Canada two years ago for studies.
"We came to know from our relatives yesterday. She was standing on the road and then a bullet hit her," he told reporters.
After the news of her death reached the village, many villagers expressed grief to the family.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto said in a post on X Friday, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario.
"We are in close contact with her family and are extending all necessary assistance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family during this difficult time.”
Police said that shots from the shooting incident also entered the rear window of a residence nearby where the occupants were watching television a few feet away. No one was injured in the home, police said.
Investigators are asking anyone with dashcam or security camera footage between 7.15 pm and 7.45 pm near the shooting area to contact authorities and provide any information that can help further the investigation.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
