Sikh stabbed to death at birthday party in Vancouver

VANCOUVER - Police have identified a young Sikh man who was stabbed to death in a birthday party at Cloverdale on the outskirts of the city Sunday.

Twenty-one-year-old Buta Singh Sangha was stabbed when a fight broke out between two neighbouring families over the birthday party celebrations. The Punjab-born victim was invited as a guest by the family celebrating the birthday of their baby when the dispute with the neighbours started.

Police said Sangha was stabbed when the dispute turned violent. He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A 32-year-old man with criminal past has been arrested for the crime. Police said the alleged killer, Adrian Skara, was also a guest at the other neighbour’s house when he stabbed Sangha.

Many people had called police when the dispute started. But before cops could come, it turned violent leading to stabbing of the Sikh man.

“This incident remains as an altercation between neighbours and does not have any links to gangs, drugs or organized crime,” police told the media.

More than a 100 Punjabi-origin young men have been killed here over the years in rivalry among drug gangs. Most of these cases remain unresolved despite the creation a special homicide unit by police.

Vancouver and its satellite towns of Surrey, Delta, Richmond and Abbotsford have the largest concentration of the Punjabi community in Canada. The area is known for its secret harvesting of marijuana which is smuggled into the US in exchange for cocaine.

Apart from the deaths of over Punjabi-origin youths, many Punjabi truckers have also been arrested for their complicity in smuggling.