Toronto neurosurgeon appears in court, charged in death of his wife

By News Staff and The Canadian Press

A Toronto neurosurgeon made a brief court appearance Saturday morning, charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife.

Members of Mohammed Shamji’s family were present in the courtroom as the 40-year-old was remanded in custody until December 20.

A current patient of Shamji’s was also present in the courtroom. She – and other patients she’s spoken to – are in “complete shock” at the news.

“He’s such a gentle, caring neurosurgeon,” said the unnamed woman outside the Toronto court house. “The only one, in Canada, that I found caring and actually wanted to help people.”

“We’re all devastated because we’ve lost a huge person in the medical system. …There is no other doctor like him.”

Shamji was arrested on Friday night at a coffee shop in Mississauga near Lakeshore Road East and Highway 10 and charged after the body of Elana Fric Shamji was found Thursday afternoon in the area of Highway 27 and Nashville Road in Vaughan.

A family member had reported her missing on Wednesday.

Police say Fric Shamji, who was a family physician, died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

The couple were believed to have been married for over 12 years and had three young children.

“It’s different in the sense that both the deceased and the accused are such respected doctors in the community,” Detective Sgt. Steve Ryan said. “It’s a sad case.”

“You’ve got three children that are now without their mom and their dad,” Ryan said.

Dr. Tom Chan, interim chief medical officer of the Scarborough and Rouge Hospital where Fric Shamji was employed, said they are “shocked and saddened” by her death.

“We send our condolences to her family and friends,” read a brief statement released Saturday morning. “We will be working with our team in the Department of Family and Community Medicine to have physicians ready to care for her patients.”

Dr. Virginia Walley, chair of the OMA, said in a written statement Saturday that Fric Shamji was active in “many efforts to improve the health-care system”.

“I most recently spoke to her at our Fall Council, where she enthusiastically discussed her work to help advance the interests of physicians and their patients,” Walley said in the statement.

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