3 men were sentenced in 2022 shooting death at Golf Course near UBC. (Photo: CBC News)
The case of 2022 murder of gangster Vishal Walia came to an end as three men convicted for the murder were finally sentenced. Deandre Baptiste, Balraj Basra and Iqbal Kang were all charged with first-degree murder four days after Walia was gunned down at the University Golf Club on October 17, 2022. Kang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder last month and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, while Baptiste pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in May and was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole for 17 years. Indian-origin Basra was convicted of first-degree murder and arson last week, and was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole eligibility for 25 years.BC Supreme Court Justice Warren Milman said Balraj Singh Basra showed “a callous disregard for human life” when he and an associate gunned down Vishal Walia.“This was an execution-style killing at close range in a public place of recreation, which was followed by the burning of the getaway car to avoid capture,” Milman said.Walia reportedly did not have a criminal record but he was a close associate of United Nation gangster Aman Manj who was shot dead 13 months ago this murder took place. According to reports, Walia had been associated with several big names in the Lower Mainland, including Peter Adiwal, who was shot more than 20 times in 2009 but survived; Gurmit Dhak, who was gunned down in November 2012; and Jujhar Khun Khun, convicted of conspiring to kill Red Scorpion gangster Jonathan Bacon in August 2011.
