Toronto | A 32-year-old man has been arrested in Toronto for allegedly killing an Indian woman, who was his partner, according to a local media report.
Abdul Ghafoori was arrested at a Toronto airport on Friday after returning to Canada following more than seven months of being on the run. He was charged with first-degree murder, the CBC News reported.
A first-degree murder conviction in Canada carries a mandatory life sentence, with no eligibility for full parole for 25 years.
The case relates to the killing of 30-year-old Himanshi Khurana, who was found dead inside a Toronto residence in December last year.
Police had earlier determined that her death was a homicide and said she was in an intimate partner relationship with Ghafoori.
However, exact details of the homicide were not shared with the press.
Officers with the force's Fugitive Squad and Homicide and Missing Persons Unit worked with national and international law enforcement agencies to facilitate Ghafoori’s return without specifying the country from which he was brought back, the report said.
On December 19, Toronto Police responded to a call about a missing woman. The following day, around 6:30 am, officers found the woman dead inside a residence, according to a police release issued at the time.
Police identified the victim two days later and subsequently issued a warrant for Ghafoori's arrest, launching a nationwide search for him in connection with the case, but it yielded no outcome for several months.
The authorities did not share further information about the accused and the victim.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto had earlier expressed shock and grief over Khurana's death. In a post on X on December 24, the Consulate said Khurana was a "young Indian national" and that it was extending all possible assistance to her family in coordination with local authorities.
