Ahmedabad: The bodies of four members of the same family of Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district, who died due to extreme cold on the US-Canada border, will not be able to be brought back to India. This information was given by his relatives on Friday.
Canadian authorities found it to be a suspected case of “human trafficking”. They have been identified as Jagdish Patel (39), his wife Vaishaliben (37), daughter Vihangi (11) and son Dharmik (three). Additional Director General of Police (CID-Crime) Anil Pratham said, “It has now been confirmed that the family belonged to Dingucha village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar.
The Indian Embassy in Canada is in touch with his family here so that further steps can be taken.” After the identity was confirmed, Patel’s relatives and some local women gathered at Patel’s ancestral residence in Dingucha to mourn.
#UPDATE , According to a statement released by the High Commission of India, Ottawa, the four have been identified as Jagdish Patel (39), his wife Vaishali Patel (37) their daughter Vihangi Patel (11), and their son Dharmik Patel (3). pic.twitter.com/B39fe1gvHe
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022
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Villagers told reporters that other family members had moved to Kalol town sometime back. Jagdish Patel’s relative Jaswant Patel said that they have decided not to bring the bodies back to India. “The whole family is in deep shock… for the time being we have decided not to bring the dead bodies here for the last rites,” he said. The last rites will be performed in Canada itself.”
Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia last week directed the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to probe the role of local agents in deporting the family to Canada.