Sonipat: The Indian national Chirag Antil, who was shot dead in Canada on Friday, had spoken to his brother, Romit Antil barely minutes before the incident. The 24-year-old student from Haryana’s Sonipat was shot dead by unidentified people in Vancouver outside his apartment, had informed Romit that he had completed his work and would party with his friends. While speaking to The Indian Express, Romit, turned emotional recalling the incident when he received an official mail from Canadian Police, having a few details about the death of his brother Chirag.
Who was Chirag Antil
A graduate of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, New Delhi, Chirag went to pursue higher education in Canada in 2022. After completing an MBA degree from the University of Canada West, British Columbia, Chirag got a job as a supervisor in a security agency. “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 had recently picked up a job as a supervisor in a security agency there. I last spoke with him barely 30 minutes before he was shot dead,” the English daily quoted Romit as saying.
“Chirag had completed his day’s work and reached home. He had parked his car behind the place where he was staying with his friends. It might be around 10.30 pm when he spoke with me and told me that he was going out to party with his friends. He sounded very happy. A few hours later, we received the information that he was shot dead,” Romit told The Indian Express.
Police did not share any information: Brother
“I received an email from Canadian police that shook our world. I made frantic calls to Chirag’s friends and people who we know in Vancouver. His (Chirag’s) flatmates told me that they heard some cracker-bursting sounds and thought that somebody might be bursting crackers. Later, when they started looking for Chirag, they found that he was not there. Another friend who visited them saw police personnel around Chirag’s car and informed them about the incident. When they all rushed to the spot, they learnt that Chirag was shot dead. Police did not share any information with them,” according to Chirag’s brother who is currently pursuing PhD degree from Sonipat.
Meanwhile, Varun Choudhary, National President of NSUI, a student wing of the Indian National Congress, took to X and urged the Ministry of External Affairs and its minister Dr S Jaishankar to extend all possible assistance to the family of the deceased student. The Indian Embassy in Vancouver, in a social media post, confirmed the killing of the Indian student and said they were in contact with the local authorities to ascertain the reason for the killing.
It is worth mentioning the latest report of killing came in a series of deaths and attacks on Indian students in the United States. In 2024 alone, at least eleven students were killed and several others faced severe attacks. Although the Indian government, on multiple occasions, asserted they were raising concerns with their counterparts, the killing spree has not stopped yet.
Also Read: Chirag Antil, 24-year-old Indian student, shot dead in car in Canada’s Vancouver