Jalandhar woman dreamt of owning a house in Canada; fate ditches her

Jalandhar native Ritika Rajput, 22, had a dream of owning a house in Canada. In January this year, when she moved to the country, she thought it as her first victory. But fate had other plans. She reportedly died after a tree fell on her during a bonfire near James Lake on December 7.

"My mother is in shock and isn't letting me and my brother go anywhere. I have left my job," an inconsolable Bharti, Ritika's elder sister, said.

Kiran, Ritika's mother, went into depression on hearing the news.

Her death has shattered the family. Ritika was pursuing a hotel management course. Both her parents run a boutique.

Ten days after her death, the family still doesn't know what actually happened. “The authorities have told us that it was an accident, but why did my sister have to go 50 km away from home when there was a storm alert. Everything seems hazy at this point," Bharti said.

She said Ritika called them on December 7 and told her mother that she was going with her friends. "It was after her death that we got to know that they were far from home," she said.

Asked if they suspected foul play, Bharti said, "I have spoken to her friends but nothing is clear. We are trying our best to get her body back.”