Deceased Indian man Kunal Khera planned to move to Canada to "join his girlfriend"

The Indian man Kunal Khera, who was found dead in a burnt-out car in the parking of Barry Curtis Park of Flat Bush, was working hard to save money to finance his intended move to Canada to "join his girlfriend".

Khera's close friend Utkarsh, who had spent considerable time with him during their student and working life in Auckland and Christchurch, told the Indian Weekender that he was regularly in touch with Kunal, with the last communication with him happening on February 28 when the latter sent him a photo of their favourite restaurant in Christchurch where they used to dine often.

"I had received a call from one of our common friends who would also visit him often, enquiring if I had seen or heard from Kunal following a similar such enquiry call from another friend checking about him."

Apparently, Police's initial enquiry on the burnt car found in Flat Bush has precipitated a chain of phone calls between Kunal's friends who frantically were checking about his whereabouts and secretly wishing to find him somewhere "alive."

"I told him I had last spoken to him on February 28 when Kunal messaged me from a restaurant in Christchurch where we would often go dining," Utkarsh said.

Kunal worked multiple jobs in Auckland and Christchurch after completing his studies at Edenz Colleges in Auckland in 2016.

"He worked very hard all these years, paid his student loan and saved enough to move to Canada by the end of 2021, where his girlfriend is currently living.

"Kunal was on a work visa, and his visa was due to expire in May this year, and he wanted to extend his visa for a few more months before moving to Canada," Utkarsh said.

Kunal hailed from Patiala district in Punjab in India and came to New Zealand on a student visa in 2016. He studied Graduate Diploma in Business Studies from Edenz Colleges in Auckland. He worked at a car wash company in Epsom before securing a job at the airport in Christchurch.

"Kunal worked at Enterprise Car Rental at Christchurch airport and was good at his job," Utkarsh said.

Utkarsh added that Kunal's parents visited him recently in late 2019 and returned to India in early 2020 before the Covid pandemic had closed the borders.

"I met his parents in Christchurch when we were working at the car rental company and also often spoke to them when Kunal would be on a video call with his parents back in India," Utkarsh added.

Both Utkarsh and Kunal lost their jobs at the rental company during Covid last year and started doing Uber Eats to make their ends meet.

"We lost our jobs back in 2020, and as a result, we started doing Uber Eats to make our living until something more concrete came our way," Utkarsh said.

Utkarsh moved to Auckland in July 2020, and soon Kunal followed him.

Kunal initially boarded with a college mate in South Auckland before moving to a single apartment house a month and a half ago.

He recalled the phone call from a friend checking Kunal's whereabouts following the Police's lead as precipitating gut-wrenching fear about his friend's well-being.

Utkarsh's worst fears came true when he was informed by the common friend later that his cousin has identified the body found as his friend Kunal Khera.

Utkarsh said hearing about Kunal's death that too in such a manner has shocked him, and he is still coming to terms with losing one of his closest friends in New Zealand.

"I have known Kunal for four years now, and we became really close friends in the last two years when we worked together when he would often drop by home for meals and drinks, and we spent hours talking to each other.

"Kunal was a cheerful and honest person; people loved being in his company," he added.

Another friend of Kunal, living overseas now, said she had known Kunal in work capacity from Epsom in Auckland. She said he was a decent human being and very hard working.

Police on Sunday reported that the body was found inside a silver Mazda, and a scene examination was conducted after.

The site of the incident was blessed and released back to the public on Sunday, Police confirmed.

The post-mortem of the body was conducted on Monday, March 8. However, the Police are still treating the death as unexplained and is continuing to make enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Kunal's death.

"Police have been in contact with Mr Khera's family in India and are supporting them as best we can.

"Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with them at this difficult time," Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Nelson from Counties Manukau Police said.

Kunal is survived by his parents and a younger sister in India.