A Canadian man of Pakistani origin was set on fire at his store in Surrey, British Columbia, on Friday.
Rahat Rao is now fighting for his life in an intensive care unit.
Known to be an active member of the local Canadian-Pakistani community, he was the owner of a currency exchange business in the Surrey Central area.
An initial investigation conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) says that Rao was attacked by a man who first threw a fire accelerant on him and then escaped after setting him ablaze.
Canadian news outlet Global News talked to an eyewitness who said that she was inside the currency exchange store when a man engulfed in flames came running from the back of the business, screaming. A relative of the shop owner told her the man was set alight in a robbery attempt, she said.
Local police have also released the photograph of the alleged attacker, presumed to be 25-year-old, and the white Mini Cooper he drives.
Dawn reports that media speculations were growing about a possible connection with the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain in the same town last year.
Previously, the RCMP had intelligence and concerns about Rao’s safety and had told him to install more cameras.
