"As International Students Or...": Canada Sentences 2 Indians To Jail For Hit And Run Case, Face Deportation

Two international students from India have been sentenced to three years in prison and will possibly be deported after they serve the term after they killed an indigenous man last year in a hit and run case in Surrey, Canada.

The victim was of Cree heritage and was a 43-year-old father.

According to the Surrey police, Gaganpreet Singh and Jagdeep Singh were in a red Ford Mustang, when they collided with the pedestrian, and dragged him for 1.3 kilometres, on January 27, 2024. The victim was declared dead at the scene.

In February, the two pleaded guilty to two charges - dangerous operation of a conveyance, failure to stop after an accident with a person, and interference with a dead body.

"They could see the victim under the car", Surrey Provincial Court Judge Mark Jette said, "They could see the victim under the car", per North Delta Reporter. He added that they drove at a speed of 70 kilometres an hour, and then "stopped the car and reversed it in an attempt to dislodge (the victim)." Jette said that both of them had "displayed indifference".

The Crown prosecutor Adam Jantunen said, per CityNews, a local Canadian daily, "If it had simply been a motor vehicle collision, it would have been an absolutely sad and tragic accident, but what they were sentenced for was their behaviour after they struck the victim and continued driving as they did."

A chilling audio was played in court from the 911 call that complained about the accident. "There's a man lying in the middle of the road," voices can be heard, "Oh my God, Oh my God, someone just hit him," followed by "Oh my God, where is he?" and "Oh my God, he's stuck under the car."

Gaganpreet and Jagdeep had come from India in 2022 as international students.

"They made a terrible decision that day, and I think it sends a message to members of the community generally, whether they're here as international students or Canadian citizens, that these are serious offenses that will be taken seriously," said crown Jantunen.