"We Spoke, He Seemed Happy": Brother Of Indian Student Killed In Canada

The parents of a murdered Indian student in Canada's Vancouver have appealed for help to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishaknar to bring their son's body to India.

Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead in a car after neighbours reported hearing gunshots, the Vancouver police said in a statement on its website. His parents live in Haryana's Sonipat.

The Indian student came to Vancouver in September 2022. He had just finished MBA at University Canada West, and recently got his work permit.

His father, Mahavir Antil, said the family had high expectations from their son, but now they are devastated.

"We were very happy he got a work permit, finally," said Mahavir Antil, who retired from working at the Haryana government's sugar mill department.

Chirag Antil's elder brother Ronit said he spoke to his brother in Vancouver in the morning, and he seemed very happy, but when he left the house in his car, unknown people shot him while he was in his Audi.

"We spoke on phone to the policeman who gave us this information, but we are not being told anything as to how this happened. We want to appeal to PM Modi and Jaishankar for justice," Ronit said.

A huge crowd has gathered in the murdered students' house to give their condolences.

In neighbouring US, 11 Indian and Indian-origin students have died since January this year. The US, however, remains a favoured destination for Indian students looking to pursue higher education. According to the US, over 2.6 lakh Indian students came to the country in the 2022-2023 academic session.