Washington, May 2: Police in the US state of California have dismissed reports that the victim of a shooting incident in Fresno city was Canada-based terrorist Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, who was the alleged mastermind in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, according to a media report.

Fresno Police on Wednesday identified the man killed in an alley at Fairmont and Holt avenues as 37-year-old Xavier Gladney in a gang-related interpersonal dispute.

Police on Wednesday also said the incident was not connected to a case involving a reputed gang killing in India, The Fresno Bee newspaper reported.

Speculative reports in Indian media on Wednesday claimed the victim was Brar, a suspect in the killing of Moosewala, it said.

Fresno Police said the department was receiving several calls from international media and that officers were working to debunk any connections between the slayings, the paper said.

Police officers at 5:30 pm on Tuesday at the alley at Fairmont and Holt after receiving information about a shooting incident.

Officers arrived and found Gladney with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. A 13-year-old was also dropped off at the hospital with a non-life-threatening wound.

Fresno Police Lt. Paul Cervantes on Wednesday said the teen was at the location where shots were fired. Homicide detectives have identified the alleged shooter as 33-year-old Darren Williams.

Cervantes said a warrant has been issued for Williams’ arrest on suspicion of murder and assault with a deadly weapon The motive is a gang-related interpersonal dispute, Cervantes said.

An activist of the banned Babbar Khalsa International, Brar has been involved in the smuggling of high-grade arms, ammunition and explosive materials through drones from across the border and supplying them for carrying out killings and also providing sharpshooters.

He hails from Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab and is reportedly residing in Brampton, Canada.

He was designated a terrorist by the Indian government under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, this year.

In a notification, the Union home ministry said Brar, backed by a Pakistan-based agency, has been involved in multiple killings and professes radical ideology.

 
 
 
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Kathmandu: Nepal has recently taken steps to ban the consumption and sale of spices produced by Everest and MDH, following similar actions by Singapore and Hong Kong. The move comes amidst concerns over the presence of harmful chemicals in these products, particularly ethylene oxide, a known cancer-causing pesticide.

According to reports from ANI, Nepal's Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has initiated testing on spices from these two Indian brands for ethylene oxide. Mohan Krishna Maharjan, spokesperson for Nepal's food technology department, confirmed the ban, stating that it extends to both import and sale of the affected spices.

Maharjan highlighted that testing is currently ongoing, and the ban will remain in effect until conclusive results are obtained. This development reflects a growing international scrutiny on the safety of MDH and Everest spices, with concerns also raised in New Zealand, the United States, and Australia.

In New Zealand, where ethylene oxide usage for food sterilization has been phased out, authorities are investigating the presence of this chemical in MDH and Everest spices. Meanwhile, in April, the Hong Kong food safety body banned four spice products from these brands, followed by Singapore's recall of Everest's Fish Curry Masala due to excessive levels of ethylene oxide.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has responded by ordering quality checks on products from MDH and Everest. Additionally, it has reached out to food safety regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore for further information.

MDH and Everest spices have long been household names in India and are exported to various countries, including those in the Middle East.