Indian student goes missing in London, BJP leader approaches EAM
An Indian student studying in London has been missing since December 15. His case came to light after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa reached out to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for help in finding him. "Bringing to the kind attention of Dr S Jaishankar ji," he wrote. Sirsa said that the missing student—identified as Gurashman Singh Bhatia—was enrolled at Loughborough University.
Why does this story matter?
At least 403 Indian students have been reported missing on international soil since 2018, as per a report published by TOI. Canada has reported the highest number of student deaths, with 91 fatalities since 2018. Apart from "malicious intent," other reasons for their untimely demise encompass natural causes, accidents, and medical causes. The United Kingdom (UK) has been ranked second on the list with 48 student deaths, followed by the United States, Australia, and Ukraine.
Last seen in Canary Wharf
Sirsa has requested assistance from Loughborough University and the Indian High Commission in the search for Bhatia, who was last seen in Canary Wharf in East London. He shared a photo of Bhatia's residence permit and college identification card on social media to garner help from the public. He also asked people to spread the word about Bhatia's disappearance. Furthermore, the BJP leader posted two telephone numbers for people to reach out to if they have any information on Bhatia.
Sirsa asks people to spread the word
Another case of missing Indian student from East London
Bhatia's disappearance comes just a few weeks after another 23-year-old Indian student was found dead in the River Thames. Mitkumar Patel, who had arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) last September, was reported missing on November 17. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that his body was found in the Thames near the Canary Wharf area of east London on November 21 and was declared dead by paramedics.
