'Almost 15 days now': Gujarat student stabbed to death in Canada; kin alleges delay in repatriating body

AHMEDABAD: The aunt of 22-year-old Indian student Vidhi Megha, who was stabbed to death in Canada’s Niagara region, has urged the Government of India to expedite the process of bringing her mortal remains back to the country so the family can perform her final rites.Speaking to ANI on Friday, Vidhi’s aunt Snehal expressed anguish over the delay in receiving her niece’s body and alleged that authorities in Canada were not responding properly to the family’s concerns regarding the repatriation process.“It has been almost 15 days now and we have not been able to have a look at her body. I request that the Government complete the procedure as soon as possible and hand over her body to us. The Govt and the police there are not answering us properly. My brother is there and is in touch with everyone, but he is getting to know about things only through email. Nobody is cooperating there. I also urge the EAM to take quick action and hand over our Vidhi to us,” she said.Vidhi Megha, a resident of Borsad in Gujarat, was killed on May 15 in St Catharines in Canada’s Niagara region.According to her family, she was attacked with a knife in an incident that is being investigated as a homicide by Canadian authorities.Her father, Kalpeshbhai Megha, also appealed to authorities to help bring his daughter’s body back to India at the earliest, saying the family wants to perform her last rites in her hometown.“My daughter is 22 years old; the incident happened in St Catharines in Canada's Niagara region. She was attacked with a knife. My request to the government is that we must perform my daughter's final rites right here in India; therefore, please provide us with the body as soon as possible and send it here,” he said.Kalpeshbhai said he was informed about the incident by police and has since been coordinating with relatives and officials in Canada to complete the required formalities.According to the family, Vidhi had moved to Canada to pursue higher education and had completed a three-year business management course. She had later enrolled in a Personal Support Worker (PSW) Honours programme.