Denied Canadian visa, NRI commits suicide

NEW DELHI: A 31-year-old NRI living in Dwarka for past one and half months allegedly committed suicide at his residence on Friday. Police sources said Vijay Sahrawat, who was forced to return back from Canada after he was laid off by an MNC due to economic slump, hanged himself at 109, Paradise Apartment in a posh colony in Sector-9, Dwarka.

DCP (southwest) K Jagdishan revealed that Vijay, whose wife and daughter were in Canada, stated in his suicide note that he was not getting visa for Canada and hence had no option but to commit suicide. Vijay moved to Canada 10 years ago after completing his MBA from an institute in the capital. He settled there and married a Canadian woman two years ago.

“Vijay had a high-paying job with a leading MNC company in Canada. But the economic crisis forced his company to sack a number of people, including Vijay. The deceased went into severe depression after losing his job. When his efforts to find another job failed, he returned to Dwarka one and half months ago to the house where his parents lived,” said a senior police officer.

Sources said that on Friday his parents left the residence for some work, leaving Vijay alone. “When they returned in afternoon, they found his room locked from inside. They told him to come out but got no response. Fearing the worst, they informed the police. We broke open the door and found his body hanging from the fan. We rushed him to Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival,” said the officer. He added there doesn’t appear to be any kind of foul play.

Vijay’s father, Ram Karan Shahrawat, is a retired colonel. Vijay’s wife, along with their one-year-old daughter, arrived in Delhi on Saturday from Canada. His neighbours in Paradise Apartments said he was depressed and rarely interacted with anyone.

22 Feb 2009, TNN