Fundraiser to pay off student loan of Charlie Lake ‘altercation’ victim raises more than $12K

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — The cousin of an international student killed in Charlie Lake has raised more than $12K. 

According to a GoFundMe page started for Gurkirat Singh Manocha, it has raised $12,298 as of March 24th at 3.16 p.m. 

Manocha, 25, was a student at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John before he was killed on March 13th after an “altercation” at Charlie Lake which is being investigated as a homicide.

According to an article by CBC, Manocha was studying business management. 

The GoFundMe page was initiated by Jasmeet Kaur, Manocha’s cousin who does not wish to use her surname, said the main motive to start the campaign was student loans. 

Kaur, who lives in Canada, said: “For a middle-class person, it is not possible to just go ahead and get the fees for two years in Canadian dollars, especially because the Indian rupee is much lower.

“We can’t bring Gurkirat back, but at least we [are trying to] help the family financially by [taking] the burden from them.” 

The goal of the GoFundMe page is to raise $70,000. The majority of the funds will be used to repay a student loan of $65,000 (40,00,000 Indian rupees). 

In addition to this, she said: “Anything that comes in extra would cover any funeral cost that is not covered by the insurance.” 

At the moment, Gurkirat is in a funeral home in Surrey, which is preparing him for repatriation. 

“The last rites would be performed there [in India], because his parents do want to see their son one last time,” she said. “[The repatriation] is going to take more than a week. It’s what we’ve been told.” 

Kaur said she is “grateful” for everyone who has donated. 

“Even the small bit counts, anything that comes in would directly be transferred to either his parents or his sibling, however they want,” she added. “I would request that anybody who can help should [do so] financially, even if you can’t help financially, just help by sharing it, so that it reaches more people.” 

To donate to Manocha’s GoFundMe page, click here. 

Anyone who witnessed the “altercation” or may have dashcam footage is asked to contact the Fort St. John RCMP at 250-787-8140.