Indian student dies after being assaulted during deadly carjacking in Canada
Toronto (PTI): A 24-year-old Indian student, who worked as a food delivery partner in Canada, has been killed after he was violently assaulted during a deadly carjacking, according to media reports.
Gurvinder Nath was delivering pizza at around 2:10 am on July 9 in Mississauga's Britannia and Creditview roads, when unknown suspects confronted him and tried to steal his vehicle, CTV News channel reported.
"Investigators do believe that there are multiple suspects involved and that the food order was placed as a means of luring the driver to this specific area," Inspector Phil King of Peel Regional Police's Homicide Bureau said, adding that investigators have obtained an audio recording of the Pizza Pizza order placed before the attack.
After Nath arrived, he was "violently assaulted" and left critically injured by a suspect who robbed him of his vehicle and fled the scene, police said.
Multiple witnesses came to his aid and called for help before Nath was rushed to a trauma centre where he was pronounced dead on July 14.
Siddhartha Nath, Consul General of India in Toronto, said Nath's death is a "heartrending loss" and he extended his condolences to family members, friends and the wider community, the CBC reported.
He said the consulate general has contacted the family after his death.
"It was heartening for me to see how the community responded, came together both online and physically to support the family in this time of grief," the Consul General said.
"Of course, nothing can make good the loss, but it will be some solace to the grieving family and it's also a signal of the spirit of the community because it is in times like this when the spirit and the solidarity and the sense of empathy is tested."
The Consul General said he hopes the people responsible are brought to justice.
Inspector King said despite the infancy of the investigation, police believe Nath was an innocent victim.
Nath's vehicle was found abandoned in the hours following the attack in the area of Old Creditview and Old Derry roads -- less than five kilometres from the crime scene, King said.
"The working theory is that perhaps there may have been extensive injuries (to Nath) that may not have been anticipated and that may have caused (the suspects) to get rid of the vehicle early," he said.
The vehicle has since been forensically examined and "several" pieces of evidence have been retrieved, King added.
Police say there is no known connection between Nath and his attackers.
"I would like to remind those involved that regardless of your level of participation, you are complicit in the murder of Gurvinder Nath and you will be arrested and charged accordingly," King said.
Nath's body will be flown to India on July 27 with the help of the Consulate General of India in Toronto, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.
Last week, CTV News Toronto spoke to family and friends of Nath, who said the Brampton resident was on summer break before he returned to his final semester of business school.
"He was innocent, he was just delivering pizza [when] random people hit him on his head," Nath's cousin, Balram Krishan, said.
Nath arrived in Canada from India in July of 2021 and had plans to open his own business.
On Saturday, more than 200 people gathered in Mississauga at a candlelight vigil for Nath, the CBC reported.
Speakers at the vigil said that Nath came to Canada carrying his family's hopes and now his family is dealing with grief at the loss of one of its three sons.
"You come to Canada with a dream. You start your life. But these people stole a dream," Bobby Sidhu, a friend of a relative of Nath, said.
Sidhu said: "Canada was known for peace. And I hope that in our country such senseless and merciless crime will come to an end. Everyone could relate to Gurvinder. I think that's the reason the community has come together."
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CJI calls for 'unified judicial policy', use of technology to converge practices across courts
Jaisalmer (PTI): Pushing for a "unified judicial policy", Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said technology can help align standards and practices across courts, creating a "seamless experience" for citizens, regardless of their location.
He said high courts -- due to the federal structure -- have had their own practices and technological capacities, and "regional barriers" can be broken down with technology to create a more unified judicial ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address at the West Zone Regional Conference in Jaisalmer, Kant proposed the idea of a "national judicial ecosystem" and called for an overhaul of India's judicial system with the integration of technology.
"Today, as technology reduces geographical barriers and enables convergence, it invites us to think of justice not as regional systems operating in parallel, but as one national ecosystem with shared standards, seamless interfaces, and coordinated goals," he said.
He emphasised how the role of technology in the judiciary has evolved over time.
"Technology is no longer merely an administrative convenience. It has evolved into a constitutional instrument that strengthens equality before the law, expands access to justice, and enhances institutional efficiency," he said, highlighting how digital tools can bridge gaps in the judicial system.
Kant pointed out that technology enables the judiciary to overcome the limitations of physical distance and bureaucratic hurdles.
"It allows the judiciary to transcend physical barriers and bureaucratic rigidities to deliver outcomes that are timely, transparent and principled," he said, adding that the effective use of technology can modernise the delivery of justice and make it more accessible to citizens across the country.
The CJI called for implementing a "unified judicial policy".
He said India's judicial system has long been shaped by its federal structure, and different high courts have their own practices and technological capacities.
"India's vast diversity has led to different high courts evolving their own practices, administrative priorities and technological capacities. This variation, though natural in a federal democracy, has resulted in uneven experiences for litigants across the country," he said.
Kant underscored that predictability is crucial for building trust in the judicial system.
"A core expectation citizens place upon the courts is predictability," he said, adding that citizens should not only expect fair treatment but also consistency in how cases are handled across the country.
He pointed to the potential of technology in improving predictability.
"Technology enables us to track systemic delays and make problems visible rather than concealed," he said.
By identifying areas where delays occur, such as in bail matters or cases involving certain types of disputes, courts can take targeted action to address these issues and improve efficiency, Kant said.
The CJI explained that data-driven tools could identify the reasons behind delays or bottlenecks, allowing for faster, more focused solutions.
"Technology enables prioritisation by flagging sensitive case categories, monitoring pendency in real time and ensuring transparent listing protocols," he said.
Justice Surya Kant also discussed the importance of prioritising urgent cases where delays could result in significant harm. He highlighted his recent administrative order that ensures urgent cases, such as bail petitions or habeas corpus cases, are listed within two days of curing defects.
"Where delay causes deep harm, the system must respond with urgency," he stated, explaining that technology can help courts identify and expedite such cases.
Kant also raised the issue of the clarity of judicial decisions.
He noted that many litigants, despite winning cases, often struggle to understand the terms of their judgment due to complex legal language.
"Although the orders had gone in their favour, they remained unsure of what relief they had actually secured because the language was too technical, vague or evasive to understand," he said.
He advocated for more uniformity in how judgments are written.
"A unified judicial approach must therefore extend to how we communicate outcomes," he said.
The CJI also discussed the role of AI and digital tools in improving case management. He pointed to the potential of AI-based research assistants and digital case management systems to streamline judicial processes.
"Emerging technological tools are now capable of performing once-unthinkable functions. They can highlight missing precedent references, cluster similar legal questions, and simplify factual narration," he said, explaining how these technologies can help judges make more consistent decisions.
He also highlighted tools like the National Judicial Data Grid and e-courts, which are already helping to standardise processes like case filings and tracking.
Kant reiterated that the integration of technology into the judicial process is not just about improving efficiency but about upholding the integrity of the system and strengthening public trust.
"The measure of innovation is not the complexity of the software we deploy, but the simplicity with which a citizen understands the outcome of their case and believes that justice has been served," he said.
