A 21-year-old daughter of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader based in Dera Bassi was found dead under suspicious circumstances near a beach in Ottawa, Canada, on Monday. Vanshika Saini, daughter of Davinder Saini from Saini Mohalla, had gone missing from her rented house since April 22.
Davinder Saini, AAP block president and in-charge of the local AAP MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa, came to know about the disappearance of his daughter on April 25 when a friend of Vanshika rang up the family. “He approached the police following which he was suggested to contact the embassy in Ottawa online and also lodge a missing report,” a top police officer stated.
As per Saini, a post-mortem has been done, but the body will take some time to be repatriated to India. The family last spoke to Vanshika on the phone on April 22.
AAP Leadership Expresses Sympathy to Bereaved Family
MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa met the bereaved family. “We are deeply saddened by Vanshika’s death. She was a topper in her school in Dera Bassi and had been doing well in Canada. Davinder is a close associate and is in-charge of my office. This is a huge loss for us too,” Randhawa stated.
Randhawa also said he had apprised party MPs such as Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Balbir Singh Seechewal, among other top leaders, to facilitate the quicker return of Vanshika’s body home. “Our party leadership has contacted the Union government and also written to the concerned embassy to bring the body. The reason behind the death will be ascertained once the autopsy report is released,” the MLA added.
Vanshika Recently Graduated and Was Working in Canada
Following her senior secondary education in Dera Bassi, Vanshika graduated with a two-year health studies degree in Canada on April 18. She had first worked at a call center before getting a job at a private clinic. She, however, left for work on April 22 and never came back. Her friends became worried when she could not be reached and, upon visiting her home, discovered she had been missing for days.
After relentless efforts by her family and pressure on Canadian authorities, Vanshika’s body was recovered along a beach. Investigations into her death are continuing, and the family is optimistic for answers when the autopsy report is out.
