Days after death of 4 on Canada-US border, grief, confusion at village of victims in Gujarat

A team from the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Gandhinagar is taking Jashubhai’s statement as part of the probe into the deaths. The relatives confirmed their deaths only on Saturday, after photos began doing the rounds on news channels and social media. Since then, the house has seen a steady stream of neighbours and relatives.

Jashubhai told The Indian Express: “Once we saw the pictures, Praveen’s brother Ashwin tried calling them, but they were not reachable. We have confirmation from the (Canada) government that the four have died and their bodies have been recovered.”

“Ashwin is not in a state to talk to anyone, so I am doing the needful,” Jashubhai, who lives a few homes away, said. Ashwin will soon fly to Canada for the last rites.

Praveen ran a transport business that he shut six months ago to take to farming. The family said the Chaudharis are farmers, with Praveen and Ashwin owning six acres of land between them. Praveen’s share was three acres, where he grew cotton and castor. “We are not aware about how much he earned from that land or in general, and how he funded the trip abroad,” said Jashubhai.

He said Praveen’s family was “well-travelled”, having been to Thailand and London in the past. “It was two months ago that they went to Canada on a tourist visa. I do not know if they had plans to go to the US,” said Jashubhai.

Another relative, Kamlesh Chaudhari (55), said: “We have heard of such incidents, like the one involving the family from Dingucha (that froze to death in Canada while allegedly trying to cross over to the US in January 2022). But those are from Gandhinagar district. There has been a trend of people in this part of the state going abroad for better opportunities, since here we are dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry.”

No one appeared to know the agents through whom the Chaudharis made their travel arrangements, but relatives and the sarpanch Ramesh Patel said “all visa work is done in Ahmedabad”.

“Most of the time, it is a friend’s friend or an acquaintance who puts someone on the job to get a visa,” said Kamlesh.

The village has a population of around 1,000, with Patidars as the majority community, and the Chaudharis and Prajapatis, both OBCs, comprising 35% and 20% respectively.

The sarpanch claimed there is just one “green card holder” in the village who has been settled in the US for the last 30 years but “visits frequently”. He pointed to a tall bird feeder which the NRI built in memory of his late mother.

He said Praveen also has two sisters who are married . “The bodies have to be cremated, and arrangements are being made with the help of the central government. Ashwin will soon go to Canada to perform the last rites. Bringing back the bodies is difficult and expensive; it costs around Rs 20 lakh per body,” said Patel.

In January 2022, a family of four from Dingucha village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar were found dead on the Canada side while allegedly trying to cross over to the US. Following investigations, two persons were arrested, from Kalol and Ahmedabad. In December 2022, another Kalol resident died while allegedly trying to cross a wall from Mexico to the US, with his three year old son and wife, who survived.