Surrey: A pall of grief has descended on Guram village in the Mehal Kalan assembly segment of Barnala after 24-year-old Rajpreet Singh died in Canada, family members said on Sunday.
Rajpreet’s parents, Kulwant Singh and Baljinder Kaur, said they belong to a small farming family. Hoping to secure a better future for their only son, they had taken a loan of around ₹18 lakh and sent him abroad on a study visa after he cleared a language test in April 2024.
Rajpreet was living in Surrey. The family said they were informed about his death on January 17 through a phone call from a relative living overseas. The exact cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Rajpreet’s maternal uncle, Harjinder Singh of Ghanour, said the family owns just three acres of land. His father, Kulwant Singh, earns a living by driving a bus for a private school. Already burdened by debt, the family is now unable to arrange funds to bring Rajpreet’s mortal remains back to Punjab.
The bereaved family has appealed to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and area MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori to provide immediate assistance for repatriating the body from Canada.
Villagers said Rajpreet’s death has left the entire area in shock, with residents calling for urgent government support for the grieving family.
