Indian student from Ujjain dies in Canada; kin say he was assaulted, mowed down

An Indian student from the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has died in Canada after suffering serious injuries in a case of alleged assault in the city of Fort St John in British Columbia on Friday. The family of the Indian victim, Gurkirat Singh Manocha, said he was assaulted while on his way from work and then ran over by the attackers. Manocha had gone to Canada 15 months ago.

This comes as Canada accounted for the highest number of Indian students dying after violent assaults while abroad between 2018 and 2025.

According to a report by the Canadian news outlet CBC, the victim, Gurkirat Singh Manocha, was injured during an incident near the Charlie Lake boat ramp outside Fort St John late on the night of March 12. Officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to reports of an altercation in the area shortly after 11 pm.

The RCMP said several people were involved in the confrontation. Manocha was found with serious injuries following the incident. According to authorities, friends transported him to a hospital, but he later died from his injuries.

CBC reported that the case has been taken over by the RCMP North District Major Crimes Unit, and quoted Sergeant Devin Huff as saying, "The North District Major Crimes Unit is urging anyone with information to come forward and speak with investigators. Investigators continue to work diligently to advance the investigation into Mr Manocha’s death." Police have not released further details about what led to the altercation or how many individuals were involved. No arrests have been announced so far.

INDIAN STUDENT IN CANADA ATTACKED WHILE RETURNING FROM WALMART SHIFT

According to a report by the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, Manocha was an international student from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh who had moved to Canada 15 months ago to pursue higher education. He was enrolled in a Business Management Post-Degree Diploma at Northern Lights College and worked part-time at a local Walmart outlet to support himself.

Gurkirat's older brother, Prabkirat Singh, who lives in Raipur in Chhattisgarh, told Dainik Bhaskar that he came to know about the incident after receiving a late-night call from one of Gurkirat's friends in Canada, who informed him that he had died.

He told the newspaper that on the day of his death, Gurkirat had finished his shift at Walmart and was accompanying some students from Northern Lights College. According to the report, there was a pre-existing dispute among some of the youths, and Gurkirat got caught in the altercation that followed. During the confrontation, several youths allegedly assaulted him before running him over with a vehicle.

Prabkirat told Dainik Bhaskar that around 10 to 12 youths were believed to be involved in the attack. "We were told that a group of boys beat him badly and then ran him over with a vehicle. Around 10 to 12 people were involved. The police had detained some suspects initially, but later they were released after their lawyers arrived," he said.

GURJEET SINGH SPOKE TO FATHER JUST A DAY BEFORE FATAL ATTACK

According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, family members said Gurkirat had last spoken to his father, Gurjeet Singh Manocha, just a day before the incident. His father was returning to Ujjain from Delhi after attending a food exhibition, and the two had spoken casually about the event. Gurkirat completed his schooling at Carmel Convent School in Ujjain and later graduated from Vikram University.

Prabkirat Singh said that Canadian police are awaiting the postmortem report, after which further legal proceedings will take place in the case. The process of bringing Gurkirat's mortal remains to India is estimated to take about three weeks. The family told Dainik Bhaskar that the Canadian government is demanding a deposit of approximately $40,000 (about 3.5 million) to release the body, and that bringing it from Canada to Ujjain will cost an additional 1 million.

In a post on X on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed condolences over Gurkirat's death and assured the family of assistance, writing, "The untimely passing of Gurkirat Manocha, a promising student from Ujjain, in Canada is deeply saddening. Today, I consoled the bereaved family. I assured them that the Government of India and the State Government will provide full assistance in the funeral process."

Gurkirat's death comes amid a steady rise in the number of Indian students succumbing to violent attacks in Canada. In a statement to the Parliament in February this year, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh noted that 17 Indian students died in "violent attacks" between 2018 and 2025 in Canada. In December 2025, Shivank Avasthi, a doctoral student, died after a shooting incident near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. In April 2025, Harsimrat Randhawa, a physiotherapy student, died after being hit by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus in Hamilton.

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