Surrey businessman identified as victim in fatal rural shooting, police link nearby vehicle fire

Police have identified the man fatally shot in a rural part of Surrey, B.C., as Baljinder “Binder” Singh Garcha, a 46-year-old local businessman and father of three.

Garcha’s body was discovered around noon on Tuesday after officers responded to reports of a man lying in the 3500 block of 176 Street, near the Morgan Creek Meadows outdoor wedding venue that he operated. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say a vehicle fire reported roughly five kilometres away, in the 18900 block of 40 Avenue, is believed to be linked to the killing.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is leading the investigation and says there is currently no indication that Garcha’s death is connected to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict, which has claimed two lives in Surrey and Abbotsford in the past week.

“It remains very early on in this investigation,” said IHIT media relations officer Sukhi Dhesi. “We are working diligently to understand the circumstances that led to the death of Mr. Garcha and are asking anyone with information to please come forward.”

Garcha was known in the community as the owner of several Surrey-based businesses, including an indoor banquet hall, a limousine service, and a film production company. Friends and colleagues described him as a well-liked individual who was not known to have enemies, though none wished to be identified publicly.

His death comes amid heightened concern in Surrey’s South Asian business community due to a rise in extortion attempts. Authorities have not said whether Garcha’s killing is connected to those incidents.

According to the Surrey Police Service, there have already been 16 reported extortion attempts in the city so far in 2026, including a shooting at a business on King George Boulevard earlier this week. In 2025, police recorded 132 extortion attempts in Surrey, 49 of which involved gunfire. None of those confirmed extortion-related shootings resulted in fatalities.

Investigators are asking anyone with dashcam or surveillance footage from the areas around 176 Street or 40 Avenue between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-4448.