Ontario influencer fatally stabbed had home targeted in arson: police

An Ontario woman who was stabbed to death earlier this month also had her home targeted in an arson late last year.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said Sunday that back in November, an arsonist ignited a fire at Nancy Grewal’s Windsor home. Grewal, a 45-year-old Punjabi social media influencer, was killed March 3, said police in LaSalle, Ont.

OPP investigators joined LaSalle police’s probe last week and released footage of the Nov. 8 arson over the weekend to generate leads.

Neither the suspect in Grewal’s killing nor the arson, which is being investigated by Windsor police, have been identified.

“Surveillance footage shows a van stopping in front of the residence. A male exits the passenger side of the vehicle carrying a gas can, pours a liquid substance onto the front porch, and ignites a fire,” the OPP said in a news release.

“The suspect then re-enters the vehicle and flees the area.”

Grewal was confronted by someone and stabbed multiple times after she left a home on Todd Lane in LaSalle on the night of March 3. She was taken to hospital, where she later died.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Officers believe whoever targeted her fled in a vehicle that was parked in a laneway on the extension of 10th Street, north of Todd Lane.

In the days that followed, LaSalle police executed search warrants at the home and the victim’s residence in Windsor. The occupants of the home on Todd Lane are not persons of interest, police said.

Grewal had posted videos speaking out against Khalistan extremism.

The Khalistan movement, which seeks independence for India’s Sikh-majority Punjab region, has been at the heart of high tensions between India and Canada in recent years.

Relations between India and Canada soured in 2023 when then-prime minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian intelligence agencies had credible evidence linking agents of the Indian government to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar was murdered on June 18, 2023, when two gunmen opened fire on his pickup truck as he was leaving Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, where he was president.

Narendra Modi’s government had long accused Nijjar of leading what it calls a terrorist group behind attacks in India, although no credible evidence was ever produced. India had repeatedly pressed Canada for his arrest over the years.

India denied any involvement in his murder, and while Prime Minister Mark Carney has worked to smooth relations between the two nations, multiple Sikh leaders in Canada have said they’ve received notice from police their lives could be in imminent danger.

0:28 Carney met by protests in Australia over re-engagement with India

The motive behind Grewal’s slaying is under investigation, LaSalle police Chief Michael Pearce said earlier this month.

“Investigators are confident this was not a random act of violence. Ms. Grewal’s murder is being investigated as an intentional act against her. All information is being considered,” he said in a statement.

“While we recognize the significant public interest in this case, we will not share information that will compromise the investigation, including leads, tips, and investigative avenues.”

Grewal’s Instagram remains active through joint-author posts, some of which described her as a “beautiful soul” who was “stolen from us.”

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP, LaSalle police or Crime Stoppers.