Photo of Vijay Bhatia from FacebookPhoto of Vijay Bhatia from Facebook
London

Memorial Planned For Murdered Cab Driver

Family and friends of a veteran cab driver murdered in a London parking lot will come together to honour his memory Thursday.

Vijay Bhatia, 64, died early Saturday after he was pulled from his vehicle and severely beaten in front of a variety store at 925 Wonderland Rd. S.

A drop-in funeral service will be held at the Westview Funeral Chapel on Wonderland Rd. from 1pm to 3pm.

Three hours after the funeral service, the city's taxi drivers will park their cabs for a memorial candlelight service organized by the London Taxi Association. The service will begin at 6pm at Westmount Shopping Centre, with mourners then walking to the Mac's Milk where Bhatia was attacked.

As plans to pay tribute to Bhatia were announced on Tuesday, the man accused of killing him made a brief audio court appearance from hospital.

Cody Perkin, 23, is charged with second-degree murder in Bhatia's death. He is also charged with assault and uttering threats in relation to a separate victim.

His next court appearance has been scheduled for May 17.

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