Bathinda, Dec. 15 -- A pall of gloom descended on two villages in the Budhlada sub-division of Mansa district after news emerged that two youths, Gurdeep Singh of Barre village and Ranvir Singh of Uddat Saidewala, were allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in Edmonton in the early hours of Friday (local time in Canada). The bereaved families said the deceased had never expressed any apprehension about threats to their lives and were both preparing for promising careers abroad. Gurdeep's family suspects the crime may be a case of mistaken identity, as the SUV in which the victims were killed belonged to another Punjabi youth and the two had just entered the vehicle when the assailants opened fire. Ranvir, 19, who had flown to Canada in March last year, was hoping to secure employment in the US. His uncle, Manpreet Singh, told HT over the phone from his native village on Sunday that Ranvir had travelled from Brampton to Calgary for a counselling session related to a job opportunity in the accountancy profession in the US. "Ranvir was staying with his cousin and another relative in Brampton. After attending a job counselling session in Calgary on December 10, one of his friends invited him to a birthday party in Edmonton. Ranvir's friends told us that as soon as he occupied the driver's seat of an SUV owned by an associate of his friend, he was shot dead," the uncle said. Ranvir was a bright commerce student and was enrolled in an accountancy course. "He was the only son of my elder brother and the entire family is in a state of shock. We have learnt that the Canadian police are investigating the case and we are seeking justice," Manpreet added. Gurdeep, 27, a native of Barre village, is survived by his widow Amandeep Kaur and his parents. His uncle, Darshan Singh, said Gurdeep had gone to Canada in 2023 and was planning for his wife to join him there soon. "We live in a joint family, and my son Arshdeep Singh joined Gurdeep in Canada last year. After completing a course in truck mechanics, he was preparing to apply for a job visa. He had developed expertise in the profession, but the unfortunate incident has shattered the family," Darshan said, adding that Arshdeep could not attend the birthday party due to work commitments. "After the incident, Arshdeep rushed to the spot, and around 10 youths, including my son, were detained by the police. They were later released, but their mobile phones were seized. Arshdeep called me in the wee hours of Friday to inform me about the incident. Initially, I thought it was a prank, but one of his friends connected him to me through a video call and narrated the entire episode," Darshan said. Quoting his son further, Darshan said the owners of the SUV had opted to sit in the rear seats, while Ranvir and Gurdeep occupied the front seats. "We have been told that an autopsy will be conducted next week. The family is awaiting details of the crime, including the exact cause of death," he added. Gurdeep had married Amandeep in March 2020. "Amandeep was scheduled to go to Canada on a student visa but the programme was shelved due to restrictions imposed in view of the Covid outbreak. Later, Gurdeep worked hard to get a study visa with a plan to settle abroad with his wife," added the uncle....