Sikh youth stabbed to death in New Zealand on Christmas

The family of Hardeep Singh Deol, a 24-year-old youth who was stabbed to death by a girl at Christchurch in New Zealand on Christmas Day, is distraught over the delay in the arrival of his body at his native Rania town in Haryana's Sirsa district.

The family has contacted the Indian High Commission in New Zealand as well as the New Zealand High Commission in India for help, but is yet to receive a positive response.

Having no means to bringing Hardeep's body to India on their own, the family has tweeted to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking government's help.

HARDEEP ON A WORK VISA IN CHRISTCHURCH

Hardeep Singh Deol, who was on a work visa in Christchurch after completing a course in hotel management in New Zealand, was allegedly stabbed by a 22-year-old girl on Christmas.

According to information received by the family, the girl was arrested and has been charged with murder.

Hardeep was rushed to a hospital with critical stab wounds where he died on Tuesday.

"He completed his B. Tech from a private college in Malout in Punjab's Muktsar district and went to New Zealand to pursue a course in hotel management. Three months ago, he got his degree and found a job in a hotel in Christchurch. He told us that he had Christmas vacations for 15 days starting December 25. But on the night of his first vacation, he was stabbed and fatally injured," said Hardeep's uncle Manpreet Singh Deol.

The family has no idea about the motive of the crime.

"He never told his family members about the girl, identified as Franchesca Kororia Borell, by the police. After his death, his Indian friends in New Zealand told us that Hardeep had known the girl for 15-20 days," Manpreet said.

He said Hardeep's mother Sukhwinder Kaur and sister Sandeep Kaur were inconsolable and the delay in the arrival of his body was making their condition worse.