A year after Dingucha, four of another family killed while attempting to enter US illegally

A year after four members of a family from Dingucha village in Gandhinagar district froze to death in their bid to cross over to the United States (US) from Canada border illegally, a somewhat similar incident came to light after four members of a family from neighbouring Mehana district drowned while trying to enter the US through the St Lawrence River on US-Canada border.

The four deceased have been identified as Pravin Chaudhary, 50, his wife Daksha, 45, their daughter Vidhi, 23 and son Mit Kumar, 20. They were from Manekpura village in Mehsana district of north Gujarat. A large number of people from this region have settled in the US and Canada.

According to local police, on February 3, the Chaudhary family had left for Canada on visitor's visa. According to Jasu Chaudhary, one of the relatives, the family went incommunicado about 15 days ago and on April 1, they received news through social media that four of Gujarati family died after the boat they were traveling in capsized. Soon, the family received images and news reports about the tragic death.

Also Read: Over suspected human trafficking, 2 agents held for Dingucha family's death on Canada-US border

After widespread reports of their deaths, local BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jugalsinh Lokhandwala wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishanker requesting for granting Canada visa to two members of the deceased family to perform the last rites.

Lokhandwala has mentioned in the letter that the family members have expressed that final rites of the deceased should be performed in Canada itself since their financial condition is not good. The letter mentions that two family members-Ashwin Chaudhary and Jasubhai Mafatlal- should be granted a visa to travel to Canada immediately.

When contacted, Lokhandwala confirmed to DH that he wrote the letter to Jaishanker. "I also met the external affairs minister to apprise him about the incident and convey the message to do the needful as requested by the family members." He said that the foreign minister has assured of all possible help.

The incident is a reminder of the Patel family in Dingucha village in Gandhinagar district whose four members-Jagdish Baldeshbhai Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, and their two children-Vihangi Patel, 11, and Dharmik Patel, 3, were found frozen to death while trying to cross over to the US. They had gone to Canada as tourists and attempted to enter the US with the help of human traffickers. The family was forced to walk in the minus -35-degree temperature resulting in their death.

In this case, the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) arrested two persons identified as Bhavesh A Patel, a resident of Kalol in Gandhinagar district and Yogesh C Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, criminal breach of trust, cheating, sections of human trafficking to be read with criminal conspiracy.

DCB has claimed that the duo worked as "tours & travels and visa consultants", and along with unidentified agents, to send "willing Indians" to the US illegally through Canada and Mexico borders. They would send Indians to Canada or Mexico as visitors and make them cross the border illegally by charging Rs60 lakh to Rs65 lakh per person.