Chirag Antil, the 24-year-old student from Sonipat, Haryana, who was fatally shot in car in South VancouverCanada, was born on Friday to Mahabir Singh, a retired sugar factory employee, and Sulekha.
His brother Romit Antil said The Indian Express that Chirag had gone to Canada in September 2022 on a study visa and was sharing an apartment with his friends. He was shot near the apartment at the intersection of 55th Avenue East and Main Street in Vancouver around 11 p.m.
“Chirag completed his graduation from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, New Delhi. He wanted to go to Canada to pursue higher education and work there. He was admitted to and completed an MBA program at the University of Canada West in British Columbia. He had recently found a job as a supervisor at a security agency. I last spoke to him just 30 minutes before he was shot,” Romit Antil said.
“Chirag had finished his day’s work and returned home. He had parked his car behind where he was staying with his friends. It was maybe around 10:30 p.m. when he talked to me and said he was going out to party with his friends. He looks very happy. A few hours later we received the information that he was shot,” he added.
Romit is pursuing his doctorate in Sonipat.
“I received an email from the Canadian police that shook our world. I frantically called Chirag’s friends and people we know in Vancouver. His (Chirag’s) roommates told me that they heard cracker bursting sounds and thought someone might burst crackers. Later, when they started looking for Chirag, they found that he was not there. Another friend who visited them saw a large number of policemen around Chirag’s car and informed them about the incident. When they all rushed to the spot, they learned that Chirag had been shot dead. The police did not share any information with them,” he said.
Romit said “no one from the state government, nor from any central government ministry” was close to Chirag’s family so far. “We don’t know where to go or what to do? I have called the phone numbers that the Canadian police shared in their mail several times, but they do not reveal any details. Our friends who are in contact with the Canadian police are also unable to get anything. Our friends went to the neighbors to see if they could see the CCTV footage, but no one cooperated and they were shown the door,” he added.
Online fundraising
Romit said he had asked Chirag’s friends to share the expenses for returning Chirag’s body to India. “They told me they had already started an online fundraiser,” he said.
“If you are in Vancouver and are able to offer support or assistance, please contact us. Your assistance in this matter would be deeply appreciated by Chirag’s family and friends, as we work to bring closure and peace during this heartbreaking time. Thank you for any help you can give,” mentioned the fundraiser.
The Indian Consulate in Vancouver published on
PM Modi’s intervention sought
Chirag’s family appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to help bring his body back to India.
Talk to The Indian Express, NSUI national president Varun Chaudhary, who took Chirag’s case to the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “Romit, Chirag’s brother Antil, is in touch with me. The family is devastated. I am also writing a letter to External Affairs Minister MS Jaishankar so that Antil’s body can be brought back. Antil’s family told me that they were not receiving any support from anywhere and even the police in Canada were not revealing any details.”
Choudhary wrote to Jaishankar seeking intervention, support and assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs to the bereaved family.
Sharing details of the email he received, Romit said, “We only received a mail from the “Major Crime Section – Investigation Division – Homicide Team 1” of the Canadian Police, in which they wrote, “Hello Romit, your brother Chirag Antil was born in August. On December 2, 1999, he was murdered around 11 p.m. Vancouver time in the area of the 200 block of 55th Avenue East. We are early in our investigation and do not know who murdered your brother and we will gather evidence. A post-mortem will be carried out next week, after which the body will be released and you can make arrangements to return it home to India.
In the same letter, sent by Detective Constable Mark Lobel, Canadian police shared the case reference number. “I will keep you updated with any information and when the autopsy is completed. Once the autopsy is complete, you can call the BC Coroners Service,” he concludes.
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver wrote on We have contacted the relevant Canadian authorities for more information in this regard. @HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar.”
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