The Tragic End of an Indian Student’s “Big Dreams” in Canada

A 24-year-old Indian student was fatally attacked in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, after allegedly being assaulted by a group of 10-12 people and then run over by a vehicle on the night of March 14. Gurkirat Singh Manocha had moved to Canada in early 2024 to pursue further education.

Details of the Attack

Gurkirat was taken to a hospital with critical injuries but did not survive. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have arrested all the accused, and the postmortem report is pending to determine the official cause of death and guide prosecution.

Plans Interrupted

Gurkirat’s plan was to complete one year at Northern Lights College, followed by a postgraduate diploma in business management, before returning to India to join his family’s food supply business in Ujjain. His father, Gurpreet, described their last conversation, the day before the incident, as routine.

“He was close to finishing. He was going to come home,” Gurpreet told The Indian Express. “My son was innocent. He was going with big dreams.”

Socializing Turned Tragic

Fort St. John, a city of roughly 22,000 people, was where Gurkirat attended classes four days a week and worked at a local Walmart store the remaining three days. According to his brother, Prabkirat Singh, Gurkirat had been socializing with fellow students after work when a dispute escalated into a confrontation and ultimately, a fatal assault.

“We were told a group of boys beat him and then ran him over,” Prabkirat said. “Around 10-12 people were involved.”

Repatriation and Support

The family is currently navigating the process of repatriating Gurkirat’s body from Canada to India, which involves substantial paperwork and coordination with consular officials. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has pledged to provide assistance to the family.

Gurpreet hopes the autopsy will be completed by March 20 and expressed hope for financial support to bring his son home for his last rites. The college in Ujjain has also promised to erect a statue in Gurkirat’s honor.