Canada: Indian student spoke to brother before being shot dead
Romit Antil, the brother of 24-year-old Indian student Chirag Antil who was shot dead in Canada's Vancouver, had a conversation with him just 30 minutes before the incident took place. According to reports, Chirag told Romit that he was going to attend a party with his friends the day he was killed. To recall, the Vancouver Police Department (VCD) said that Chirag was found dead inside a vehicle in the area after neighbours reported hearing gunshots on April 12.
'He sounded very happy'
According to Romit, Chirag went to Canada in September 2022 on a study visa and used to share an apartment with his friends. He was shot dead near the apartment on the intersection of East 55th Avenue and Main Street, Vancouver, around 11 pm. "It might be around 10.30 pm when he spoke with me. He sounded very happy. A few hours later, we received the information that he was shot dead," Romit told the Indian Express.
Investigation underway, family struggles for information
Chirag's family has sought the Indian government's help to bring back his body. According to Romit, the family received the information about Chirag's death via phone calls and an e-mail from the Canadian police. The Vancouver Police Department has confirmed that no suspects have been arrested yet and investigations are ongoing. "We spoke to Chirag's friend in Canada. He said they were not told anything by the police yet," Romit added.
Family seeks help of PM Modi, Jaishankar
According to reports, Chirag's family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for their help "We want the body to be brought home as soon as possible. Our embassy there and...Government of India should help us to bring the body back," a relative was quoted as saying by PTI. The Indian Consulate in Vancouver posted on X it was in touch with Canadian authorities for obtaining more information.
Chirag's friend set up GoFundMe page
Meanwhile, Chirag's family and friends have set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with a goal of 40,000 Canadian dollars to repatriate his body to India. "Chirag Antil, an international student from Haryana, India, who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 for his studies, tragically lost his life due to a recent murder in the city. We urgently need assistance to raise funds for sending his body back to India," the appeal stated.
