‘Shot rival, torched getaway car, fled scene’: Indian-origin man sentenced to 25 years in jail in Vancouver golf club murder case | World News
Delivering the verdict, Justice Warren Milman called the incident a “targeted hit at close range in a public place of recreation,” revealing its cold-blooded and deliberate nature. (File Photo)
A Canadian court has sentenced an Indian-origin man, Balraj Basra, to 25 years in prison for his role in what the judge described as an “execution-style killing” of Vishal Walia at a golf club in Vancouver in 2022.
The jury of the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Tuesday found Basra guilty of first-degree murder and arson, marking the third conviction in the high-profile case, PTI reported.
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The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Walia, 38, was shot dead on October 17, 2022, at a golf club located on the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Warren Milman called the incident a “targeted hit at close range in a public place of recreation,” revealing its cold-blooded and deliberate nature. He also noted how the perpetrators torched the getaway car — a stolen Audi A4 sedan — to destroy evidence and evade arrest.
Basra was convicted of first-degree murder and arson, with the five-year sentence for arson to be served concurrently with his life term. The court found that Basra and his accomplices not only killed their rival Walia at point-blank range but also discarded two handguns and their clothing to conceal their tracks.
“The accused showed a callous disregard for human life,” Justice Milman said, pointing to how the car fire spiralled out of control, spreading to a near garage, fence, and power pole, putting others in danger.
Two other men, Iqbal Kang and Deandre Bapte, had been sentenced earlier for their roles in the crime. Kang received 17 years in prison, plus a concurrent five-year term for arson, while Bapte was handed a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 17 years, according to CBC.
Police investigations revealed that the trio fled in another vehicle after torching the first one. Quick coordination between the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), Richmond RCMP, and British Columbia Highway Patrol led to their arrest within minutes of the murder.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the killing, but the convictions mark a major breakthrough in a case that shocked the Vancouver community and drew attention to rising organised violence in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
