Murdered Woman Identified as KPU Student

Friends and family grieve for Kiran Dhesi as police investigate
Joseph Keller, Staff Writer

A body that was found in a burned vehicle in Surrey last week has been identified as Kiran Dhesi, a 19-year-old KPU student. Police say that the woman’s injuries suggest that her death was a homicide.

KPU students were alerted to the tragic news via an email from the university’s president, Alan Davis, on August 4. Davis expressed condolences to Dhesi’s family and friends and reminded students that grief counseling is available through the university.

“The violent death of a young woman from our community touches us all. My heart goes out to her family and friends, and on behalf of the KPU community I extend my most sincere sympathies,” Davis wrote.

Dhesi’s body was discovered just after midnight on August 2 on the 18700-block of 24 Avenue. She was found in the burning vehicle after police responded to extinguish the fire. The murder is currently under active investigation. According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, the crime does not appear to be random but little is known about any possible motive.

A vigil was held at Cougar Creek Elementary School on August 8 for friends and family of Dhesi to grieve and pay respect. Long time friend of Dhesi, Samerah Mohammed, attended the vigil and told Global News that Dhesi was “definitely one of a kind” and “one of the strongest people in the world to me and all of us friends.”

Nothing that has been reported by the police suggests that this tragedy is connected to activities on any KPU campus. Regardless, students are urged to report any suspicious activities to campus security and to be aware of their surroundings.

Any information that could be connected to the death of Kiran Dhesi should be reported to the Surrey RCMP.