Police in India search for suspects in connection with Akwesasne drowning deaths
CBC
Police in India say they are looking for three men in connection with the deaths of a family from Gujarat who perished trying to cross into the United States by boat through Akwesasne, Que., in March.
Achal Tyagi, superintendent of police for the city of Mehsana, in the western state of Gujarat, says authorities have issued a "lookout circular" for three men: Nikulsinh Vihol, Sachin Vihol and Arjunsinh Chavda.
The notice is used at checkpoints, borders and immigration ports to look out for a person wanted by law enforcement.
Indian police allege the men were involved in running immigration firms some people use to enter countries with fake documents.
Four Indian nationals whose bodies were among eight people pulled from the St. Lawrence River had been travelling in Canada on a tourist visa from their home state of Gujarat. They included Praveen Chaudhari, 50; his wife Daksha, 45; their daughter Vidhi, 23; and their 20-year-old son Meet.
Tyagi said a police complaint was registered against the three wanted men and the case is still in the early stages of investigation. They face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property and criminal conspiracy.
"Charges would happen at a much later date," Tyagi said in an interview this week.
"We are trying to trace them."
The complaint sets the criminal case in motion and was filed by Praveen Chaudhari's younger brother, Ashwin Chaudhari.
According to the complaint, translated by The Canadian Press from Gujarati and known as a First Information Report, at least one of the alleged brokers, Sachin Vihol, was living in Canada and acted as the point person.
The allegations in the report, which have not been tested in court, provide some details about the final movements in the Chaudhari family's journey.
The report alleges the brokers received the equivalent of about $100,000 Cdn to have Praveen Chaudhari and his family cross into the U.S. by taxi. Later, family members were reluctantly convinced at the last minute to travel by boat and were reassured there would be no issues, despite poor weather.
Ashwin Chaudhari, a 40-year-old farmer, said in the complaint that he was in touch with the family through phone calls and WhatsApp.
According to the complaint, his brother Praveen told him in January he was travelling to Canada and had received a visitor's visa.
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