US vacation cost Punjabi youth dear
HOSHIARPUR: It was destiny that took Vikram Jaryal from Punjab to the United States else he was to go to England for the merchant navy second mate test. The 26-year-old, who was shot dead in Washington’s Yakima city on Thursday, had joined his friend’s convenience store only two days before he was killed.
Vikram’s elder brother Inderjit said here that both of them served in the merchant navy. “Vikram was to undertake the examination after signing off his current assignment but he postponed it to the year-end and instead obtained a tourist visa to the US for a short vacation,” said Inderjit, who was the first to be told about his brother’s death.
Vikram spoke to his family members last on April 5 to inform them that he was having a good time in the US and would return in a few days.
“We still can’t believe he is no more. I wish he had not gone there,”said his grief-stricken father subedar Parshottam Singh (retd). His mother Poonam is in shock. SUSHMA SWARAJ ASSURES HELP
The family is awaiting the body. Inderjit urged external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to arrange for the early release of the body to which the minister responded positively and tweeted that India is coordinating with investigation agencies in the US to get the culprits apprehended.
“We are coordinating with the investigative agencies. They have got the CCTV footage and are in the process of apprehending the culprits,” she said.
Inderjit said the Indian consulate in San Francisco was in touch with the family and assured them of sending the body back early next week.
“They said Saturday and Sunday are holidays so the death certificate and other formalities can be completed only on Monday,” he added.