Friends of deceased migrant worker Malaykumar Patel remember him as a great sportsperson, a fantastic cook and a life cut short too soon.
Malay Patel, 33, as he is fondly known in the community, died in a single-vehicle crash last Wednesday, March 10, in Christchurch and succumbed to his injuries at the spot.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender, Malay’s friend Pawiter Singh who is also liaising with authorities in Christchurch and his family in India, says he was returning from work late in the night when the accident happened.
“Malay worked with a cleaning company and used that stretch of the road regularly to cleaning sites and back home.
“He was on his way back from the cleaning site through Tram Road, West Eyreton, Oxford, in Canterbury at around 11:10 p.m. when his vehicle crashed into a roadside fence and some trees,” Mr Singh said.
Mr Singh further added that his friends and people known to him were shocked, hearing the news about his untimely demise and called the police several times to confirm the information.
“I spoke to him just one day before the incident was helping him with his visa application and was supposed to meet again on Thursday afternoon for the same.
“Police came to his house to with the news and to confirm his details with friends and flatmates- the news quickly spread amongst the community and his current employer, and I went to see his body at the police station to confirm his identity,” Mr Singh added.
Malay Patel hailed from the Navsari region in Gujarat, Western India, and came to New Zealand on a student visa studying Level 7 Business from an institution in Auckland.
Malay with his friends in Christchurch (Malay in purple shirt, sitting on the right side, second from left)
He later moved to Christchurch and previously worked under Armourguard.
Malay was on an Open Job visa and had recently applied for Essential Skills Visa with Immigration New Zealand.
Recalling about his friend, Pawiter said Malay was a quiet person, had a gleeful laugh, worked hard, and he and his common friends would often hang out at their place eating and dining together.
“Malay was an excellent cook, he made some amazing dishes for us at our place, and we would often hang out and chill with him,” Mr Singh said.
Malay, along with his former and current employer and friends, played cricket with Richmond Cricket Club- Home of Rhino’s, where he was both a bowler and a batsman.
Malay's team Richmond Cricket Club- Home of Rhino’s paying tribute to Malay with his bat, jersey, cap and bowl [Photos: Facebook]
Last Saturday, March 13, his club, Richmond Cricket Club- Home of Rhino’s, observed a minute’s silence and paid tribute to Malaykumar, who they remember as a cheerful person and a great sportsman.
“Malay was an extremely well respected and liked member of our cricket club, with a run-up and bowling action you will forever remember,” Richmond Cricket Club mentioned on their Facebook page.
Malay’s parents and family back in Gujarat are equally traumatised by the news of their son’s death and coordinated with his son’s friends and authorities to repatriate his body back home for his last rites.
Malay playing Holi with his friends in 2018 (Photo: Facebook)
Police conducted the post-mortem, and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing.
The High Commission of India in Wellington confirmed that the formalities of the body repatriation had been completed, and Malay’s mortal remains will be flown back to his home to his parents on Friday, March 19.