Canada Murder Case: Man Arrested 7 Months After Indian-Origin Woman Found Dead

A 32-year-old man, Abdul Ghafoori, has been arrested seven months after a 30-year-old Indian origin woman, Himanshi Khurana, was found dead in a house in Toronto, according to a police statement as quoted by media reports. 

Police stated that the two, accused and the victim, knew each other. Ghafoori, who was arrested on August 7 from a Toronto airport, has been charged with first degree murder. It is pertinent to note that the first degree murder conviction can carry a life sentence without parole if prosecutors establish that the killing was premeditated and intentional.

Toronto Police said members of its Fugitive Squad and Homicide and Missing Persons Unit worked with national and international law enforcement agencies to facilitate the accused’s return to Canada. However, police did not disclose the country to which he had fled after the alleged murder. 

Canadian authorities had issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Ghafoori following the murder reported in December last year.

Fugitive Hunt Ends

On December 19, 2025, Toronto Police responded to a missing person report. Officers found Khurana's body inside a residence the following morning at 6.30 am. They classified the death as a “homicide” and the Homicide Unit assumed charge of the investigation. Police ascertained her identity two days later.

The suspect and the victim were in an "intimate partner relationship", CP24 reported, citing Toronto Police.

Following an extensive search, law enforcement secured the suspect's return. The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed shock over the incident. 

How Was Ghafoori Arrested?

Members of the Toronto Police Fugitive Squad and Homicide and Missing Persons Unit liaised with national and international policing partners to facilitate Ghafoori’s return to Canada. On August 7, he was located and arrested. He was scheduled to appear in court at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Avenue West, on Saturday.

Officers said they responded to a report of a missing person in the Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street W area and issued a warrant for Ghafoori, as per CBC News.

On X (formerly Twitter), the Consulate General wrote, "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the murder of Himanshi Khurana, a young Indian national, in Toronto." It extended its "deepest condolences to her bereaved family during this moment of profound grief" and added that "all possible assistance is being extended to the family in close coordination with local authorities".

Recent Toronto Homicides

In a separate incident on July 24, 2026, 26-year-old Navneet Kaur, believed to be of Indian origin, was shot and killed near the intersection of Humberwood Boulevard and Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto. The two had a brief interaction before the suspect shot Kaur.

Following the fatal shooting, police arrested 37-year-old Sharnjeet Singh of Brampton, who is also believed to be of Indian descent. Singh is charged with first-degree murder and failure to comply with an undertaking in connection with Kaur's death, Toronto Police stated.