Tejeshwar Kalia is an Indian student currently fighting a self-defence case in Warmington, with the help of a GoFundMe crowdfunding effort set up by his friends as his video goes viral
Tejeshwar is currently facing aggravated assault charges after defending himself from a bat-wielding robber earlier this year.
Indian international student and store clerk Tejeshwar Kalia says he still loves Peterborough despite being attacked there with a baseball bat by a fentanyl addict and later attacked by the justice system seeking to put him in prison in the upcoming self defence test case trial. pic.twitter.com/jox4Bx17gN
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) April 6, 2024
According to reports, the 22-year-old international student has no money to fight for himself and could face a 14-year imprisonment.
Who is Indian student Tejeshwar Kalia as video of him defending himself during robbery in Clark K Peterborough, Ontario store goes viral
Tejeshwar Kalia bio
Tejeshwar Kalia is a young Indian student who is currently fighting a self-defence case in Warmington, England. He is currently 22-years-old and is a health sciences student at the Sir Sandford Fleming College. Kalia was once reportedly a football player for India’s under-17 national soccer team. He was working as a clerk at a Circle K convenience store in Peterborough, Ontario, which is also where the incident took place on January 5, 2024.
Following the accusations against him, he is currently under house arrest in a small shared apartment. He is not allowed to go back home or work to help make ends meet, putting him in a very difficult position. The student is also not allowed to attend his classes. Kalia’s case has sparked backlash against the system, for trying to put an international student in prison for hitting his violent attacker in self-defence with the same baseball bat which he was struck with three times.
A 22-yr-old lndian student/CircleK clerk in Canada, Tejeshwar Kalia, is facing 14 yrs after defending himself during a robbery attempt by an addict pic.twitter.com/e0Cttdh7Bl
Few wks ago,an Indian student/convenient store staff, Vivek Saini was killed brutally by an addict in US— Saran Shanmugam (@saranstm) April 8, 2024
Tejeshwar Kalia’s friends set up a GoFundMe campaign
Meanwhile, Kalia’s friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help aid their friend I fighting the case. One of his friends Deepak Sharma stated that his friend was facing an “unjust situation” and that “Tej was innocently going (to) his night shift, simply working at a local convenience store, when he was suddenly attacked by an assailant”.
He further added that Tej was simply defending himself and he was wrongfully accused. His friends have set up the crowdfunding effort with a goal of $25,000 to give him a fair fighting chance. Tejeshwar Kalia stated about the crowdfunding:
I assure you that any funds raised will be used solely for my living and legal expenses. Your support will not only provide me with the means to defend myself but also restore my faith in humanity during these trying times.”
Peterborough Police speaks out
Meanwhile, Peterborough Police Chief Stu Betts made a issued a statement on X supporting the law and his officers. Ironically, while doing so, the message painted an incomplete narrative against Kalia, who is innocent until proven guilty. Police officials back on January 9 stated:
man came into the store demanding money and brandishing a baseball bat. A struggle ensued and the clerk was struck with the bat before grabbing the bat away from the suspect. The suspect then fled the store. The clerk followed the suspect out of the store and struck him several times with the baseball bat on the sidewalk.”
However, the actual security footage showed that the suspect did not freely flee the store. Instead, he was embroiled in a life-and-death battle with Kalia, and a customer, to grab the bat. The bat eventually spilled out into the street and Kalia did not follow him immediately with the bat as reported.
The 22-year-old instead pulled it away from the attacker before lunging towards the suspect Jonathan Handel and hitting him twice. Kalia was allegedly hit with the bat in the back of the head and “spine” and the robber even threatened to stab Kalia. Police reportedly recovered one knife from the suspect, supporting Kalia’s claims.