Panchkula: Residents concerned over safety of children abroad

Panchkula, January 31

Residents of Bhagwanpur village in Panchkula have raised concerns about the safety of their children in foreign countries after Vivek Saini was hammered to death in the US. Vivek’s relatives said that his murder was a hate crime.

Vivek had gone to the US for higher education after completing his bachelor’s degree in 2022. Residents said that he was a brilliant student and was among the toppers at his college in the US. He was set to return to India on January 23. However, fate took an unforeseen turn when he was hammered to death by the man to whom he had been providing food and shelter.

Vivek’s granduncle, Sandal Singh, who also resides in the village, said that it was a case of hate crime. “Our boy helped this man with food and shelter, and he chose to repay Vivek by hammering him to death. This is a clear case of hate crime, and due to this, everyone in the village is now scared to send their children abroad for education.”

He said another family had visited the village during Vivek’s cremation and decided not to send their child back to the US for work. “People are now scared of violence and gun culture in western countries. We received information that on the same day (January 25) when we received Vivek’s body, another body of a Chandigarh-based youth had been sent home from the US after he was murdered,” he added.

Sandal Singh said the family received immense help from the villagers. “Vivek’s friends and an NGO in the US helped us complete all the legalities to bring back his body.”

Village sarpanch Harcharan Singh said 15 boys and girls from the village were in foreign countries. “In recent years, the youth have been inclined to go abroad for higher education or work. However, after this incident, families in the village are hesitant to send their children abroad,” he said.