Untimely deaths of two Indian students ‘non-criminal in nature’: Canada police

The body of 23-year-old Ayush Dankhara was discovered near a bridge in Toronto on May 7, while that of 26-year-old Harsh Patel was found on April 16

Toronto: Amid concerns within the Indo-Canadian community over the traffic situation and untimely deaths of two students from India in Toronto, police have said these incidents were “non-criminal” in nature.

A police car blocks the entrance to the Brady Road Resource Management Facility, where the body of Linda Mary Beardy of Lake St. Martin First Nation was discovered, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Picture for representational purpose only). (REUTERS)

The body of 23-year-old Ayush Dankhara was discovered near a bridge in Toronto on May 7, while that of 26-year-old Harsh Patel was found on April 16.

These two incidents have left the community shaken and connections were made between them as both were from Gujarat and studied at York University.

A spokesperson for Toronto Police said both the deaths were “non-criminal” in nature. The National Alliance for Indo-Canadians (NAIC) tweeted that they were “concerned at suspicious death of students that require thorough investigations to determine the cause”.

Toronto Police said they will not comment further on the matter out of respect for the families of the deceased youth.

While Patel, who was from Ahmedabad, was studying at the Etobicoke campus of York University, Dankhara, from Bhavnagar, was not currently a student at the university. Yanni Dagonas, deputy spokesperson for York University, said they were able to confirm that Dankhara “has not been enrolled at York University since the 2019/20 academic year”.

“When an incident occurs involving a York student at our university or in the community, the University works with local law enforcement and community support groups to ensure the safety of those involved and of the greater community. To be clear, no safety risk has been identified by local authorities with respect to these circumstances,” he added.

He pointed out the university offers “dedicated support specifically tailored for international students”, due to the challenges they face. It also offers mental health support in various languages.

These deaths are among the many reported in recent months of international students from India due to various causes, from suicides to accidents and in at least three instances, murders.