Borsad student’s dreams cut short in Niagara

Vadodara: A 22-year-old student from Borsad in Anand district was stabbed to death in Canada’s Niagara region, close to the US border, underlining fears about the safety of Indian students overseas and plunging her family into grief.

Vidhi Kalpesh Megha had been in Canada for four years, pursuing higher studies while working part-time. She was preparing to apply for Canadian permanent residency when her life was cut short.

According to her family, Vidhi last spoke to her father on May 14, when she mentioned plans to apply for PR. On May 15, she left her residence and went missing.

Her body was later found in the Niagara region of Ontario. Canadian authorities confirmed that she had been killed in a knife attack. Sources said Vidhi had shifted from Hamilton to St Catharines in Ontario just 10 days earlier.

Family members in Borsad said they remained unaware of the killing for 12 days. Messages sent to Vidhi after May 15 were not delivered, raising alarm among relatives.

The delay deepened the family’s trauma. Vidhi’s father, Kalpesh Megha, said Borsad police informed him of the murder on Wednesday.

“We last spoke to her on May 14. After that, we could not contact her. We have not even been able to see her face,” a grieving family member said.

Vidhi had an uncle in Canada but had been staying separately for the past one-and-a-half years, relatives said. Her younger brother, Rudra, lives with the family in Borsad.

News of the killing cast a pall over the town, with neighbours and relatives gathering at the family residence. Vidhi’s mother, Vaishali Megha, was inconsolable, while several relatives broke down repeatedly.

Her aunt, Snehal Megha, appealed to the govt to ensure that Vidhi’s mortal remains are brought back to India at the earliest.

Gujarat cabinet minister and Borsad MLA Raman Solanki visited the family and assured them that the state govt was making all possible efforts to speed up the repatriation of her mortal remains.

Canadian police registered a case of murder and launched an investigation. They are searching for the attacker and probing the motive. Vidhi’s father said one person, a drug addict with a prior murder case, has been arrested.

The killing sent shockwaves through the Indian community in Canada and across Gujarat, reigniting concerns about the safety of Indian students abroad.