Punjab-origin cop dies in Canada as fugitive rams vehicle into him

Patiala: A 29-year-old Punjab-origin constable with the Ontario provincial police, Tarun Bali, was killed Tuesday afternoon in Canada after an 18-year-old suspect on the run drove a vehicle into him.The incident took place in the town of Hearst, about 520 km east of Thunder Bay, when the police had zeroed in on the teenager, who had recently escaped from a local hospital while undergoing a formal assessment under the Mental Health Act. Official accounts state that as officers moved to detain him, the suspect allegedly deliberately drove his vehicle into the police perimeter, striking Tarun. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene. Ontario police commissioner Thomas Carrique confirmed on X that Tarun was killed in the line of duty, plunging his native town of Nangal into grief. Before moving to Canada, the Bali family lived in the Shivalik Avenue locality of Nangal. Neighbours recalled Tarun as a focused and supportive young man who had long aspired to work in law enforcement. Tarun's relative Dinesh Kumar said the family immigrated in 2005. "Tarun joined the police force two-and-a-half years ago. Assigned to central Ontario's Dufferin detachment, he had been on a special temporary deployment with the James Bay detachment when the fatal incident occurred," he said. Tarun's elder sister and elder brother are also based in Canada. He is survived by his wife, Komal, whom he married two years ago. According to Kumar, the family visited Nangal every year or two, with their last visit in Feb 2025. The entire family had been planning to return to their hometown this Oct. Ontario premier Doug Ford and several Canadian federal ministers issued public messages on X to acknowledge Tarun's sacrifice. Nangal councillor Sapna Nanda and her husband, former councillor Deepak Nanda, also shared their deep condolences with the grieving family. MSID: 131635778 413 |