The community has rallied to fund the repatriation of Mr Prajapati’s body back to India.
As of 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 9 the Givealittle page set up for the deceased 33-year old Raj Kumar Prajapati showed $17,716 donated by 343 generous donors.
Mr Prajapati hails from Hazaribagh, a small town in Jharkhand, India died in a freak road accident at a pedestrian crossing at around 4:15 p.m. in Huntly on Thursday, September 7.
Police is investigating the incident that led to the death of the young man.
Police also mentioned that the place of accident, ‘Bells Crossing’ intersects with SH1 and crosses the main trunk railway line that runs between Auckland and North Waikato is prone to accident and has a history of fatalities, and so far four lives have been lost earlier.
The family of Mr Prajapati, who belongs to the state of Jharkhand in central India were informed of the incident by his friends on Thursday night.
The Indian Weekender spoke to Mr Prajapati's friend Alroy Castelino who is coordinated with the Police and the Indian High Commission in New Zealand in the identification process and repatriation of the body back to India.
"We are appealing to the Kiwi-Indian community to help us send Mr Prajapati back home to India as his parents are too old and not in a position to bear the cost.
"We are setting up a Givealittle page for everyone to help whatever little they can," Mr Castelino had said.
The Indian Weekender also spoke to Sandeep Sood from the Indian High Commission in New Zealand, who confirmed that their office is in touch with friends of the deceased and are extending every possible help in this hour of distress.
"We are in touch with the friends of Mr Prajapati and are waiting for police and coroner to complete formalities," Mr Sood told The Indian Weekender on Friday, September 8.
The page says that Raj was a newly married man whose wife was going to join him in New Zealand to begin a new chapter in their married life.
Raj came from a poor family in India, who he helped support by coming to New Zealand all on his own and working hard to have a better life.
The Givealittle page can be checked out Here.
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helpthekumarfamily#