Rohtak: The family of a 30-year-old student from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, who was allegedly stabbed to death in Worcester, United Kingdom on November 25, has urged the government to provide immediate diplomatic support to ensure a comprehensive investigation and assist in the repatriation of his remains.
n a phone interview with HT, the elder brother of the deceased, Ravi, who lives in Jagrambass village of Charkhi Dadri, shared that his brother had traveled to the UK on February 18 to pursue his education after voluntarily resigning from his role at the Central Board of Excise and Customs department.
“We received a notification from West Mercia Police (UK) stating that Vijay was found with life-threatening injuries in Worcestershire on November 25 at around 04.15 GMT. The police have detained five suspects, who are presently out on bail. We are not aware of the motives behind my brother’s murder and have no information regarding the attackers,” he stated.
The deceased was a student at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol. Ravi indicated that they have contacted the external affairs minister, seeking urgent assistance from the Indian High Commission in London for the return of the body.
Our family is heartbroken by this incident. We earnestly request the Ministry of External Affairs to help us in recovering my brother’s body for the final rites. The complex legal processes and paperwork in the UK make it difficult for us to manage this situation on our own,” Ravi stated in his letter.
He also mentioned that Vijay had most recently worked in Kochi before resigning to pursue studies abroad. Ravi has additionally reached out for help from Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.
BJP MLA from Charkhi Dadri, Sunil Sangwan, has called on the Union government to ensure the prompt repatriation of Vijay’s remains, while also demanding a thorough investigation into the murder.
Sukhvinder Nara, a lawyer based in London and former senior deputy advocate general in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, indicated that a crowdfunding campaign has been initiated by Non-resident Indians to hasten the return of Vijay’s body.
“I strongly advise Indian students arriving in the UK to remain vigilant, even when engaging with fellow Indian students,” he commented.
Preliminary reports suggest that the attackers were students from Haryana and Punjab, and the confrontation arose after a verbal dispute. The police have not disclosed the identities of the assailants.
West Mercia Police reported that they have arrested five men aged between 22 and 35 on suspicion of attempted murder. Detective Inspector Corry Horobin from Worcester CID remarked: “We have detained five individuals as part of our initial inquiries and are working to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
