Dr. Asha Goel was an obstetrician/gynecologist who trained and practiced in Saskatchewan and Ontario for 40 years. During this time she delivered an estimated 10,000 babies and helped improve the lives of over 50,000 women, including through a separate specialized practice serving immigrant women of Indian origin in Ontario. She chose Canada for her home, as the place she would raise her family and practice her beloved discipline. Asha Goel was the best India had to offer. She was a patron of the arts, a remarkable physician and a committed advocate for health care that is both compassionate and competent. She was a devout Hindu and an extraordinarily devoted wife, mother and grandmother. And she was proud to call herself a Canadian.
On August 22, 2003, Asha Goel was brutally beaten and murdered while staying at her brother Suresh’s apartment in Mumbai (Bombay), India.
With no signs of forced entry, and five others in the house, police quickly concluded it was an inside job. Following a detailed two-year investigation, in October 2005, Mumbai Police announced the arrests of four men, whom they alleged were part of a broader conspiracy to murder Dr. Goel. A fifth person, resident in Canada, was named by the police in court papers as a co-conspirator and Wanted Accused.
Asha Goel's family has made repeated appeals to the Canadian authorities to help the investigation and prosecutions. But the Canadian government is treating the murder of its own citizen as an Indian problem, even though the Indian authorities have alleged in court that Asha Goel was the victim of an international conspiracy hatched in Canada. The Government of Canada has paid too little attention to Asha Goel’s case. Sadly, this dereliction of duty is all too typical of the Canadian Government’s lack of responsiveness in other cases of Canadians murdered abroad.
With a trial for the four people originally arrested in India coming up quickly, what is Canada willing to do to help the victim’s family and ensure justice is done? Will they finally assist with the many requests from Indian Police authorities? Will they even send an observer to represent the victim’s country? The Government hasn’t said. Now is the time for Canada to step up and finally do the right thing for Asha Goel by supporting the Indian authorities in every possible way. Assisting the Indian investigators with their enquiries and making their presence known and visible throughout the legal proceedings would be a good start.
Citizens can make a difference by speaking out for justice for Asha Goel. Click here to find out how you can help. And thank you.
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