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| Parents' plea to India over girl's missing organs | Parents' plea to India over girl's missing organs |
| (8 days later) | |
| The bereaved parents of an eight-year-old girl are demanding answers from the authorities in India after she was returned to the UK with her organs missing. | The bereaved parents of an eight-year-old girl are demanding answers from the authorities in India after she was returned to the UK with her organs missing. |
| The family of Gurkiren Kaur Loyal told the Birmingham Mail their daughter had died as she was being treated for mild dehydration at a clinic while holidaying in the Punjab area. They say she was responding well, until a medic injected their daughter with an unknown solution – she died a short time later. | The family of Gurkiren Kaur Loyal told the Birmingham Mail their daughter had died as she was being treated for mild dehydration at a clinic while holidaying in the Punjab area. They say she was responding well, until a medic injected their daughter with an unknown solution – she died a short time later. |
| After her body was returned to the UK a coroner informed the family that pathologists had been unable to determine the cause of death because the girl's remains were sent with insufficient material, according the Birmingham coroner's office. | After her body was returned to the UK a coroner informed the family that pathologists had been unable to determine the cause of death because the girl's remains were sent with insufficient material, according the Birmingham coroner's office. |
| Shabana Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, has backed the family's calls for an investigation into Gurkiren's death. She has written to the foreign secretary, William Hague, urging him to seek answers from India about what happened to the schoolgirl. | Shabana Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, has backed the family's calls for an investigation into Gurkiren's death. She has written to the foreign secretary, William Hague, urging him to seek answers from India about what happened to the schoolgirl. |
| Gurkiren's mother, Amrit Kaur Loyal, told the Birmingham Mail: "My baby was innocent and now I am devastated without her. Gurkiren was fine, she was chatting to us and planned to buy some gifts for her cousins. | Gurkiren's mother, Amrit Kaur Loyal, told the Birmingham Mail: "My baby was innocent and now I am devastated without her. Gurkiren was fine, she was chatting to us and planned to buy some gifts for her cousins. |
| "While we were talking an assistant came up carrying a pre-filled syringe and reached for the cannula in her hand. I asked what was the injection for, but he gave me a blank look and injected the liquid into her. | "While we were talking an assistant came up carrying a pre-filled syringe and reached for the cannula in her hand. I asked what was the injection for, but he gave me a blank look and injected the liquid into her. |
| "Within a split second Gurkiren's head flipped back, her eyes rolled in her head, and the colour completely drained from her. I knew they had killed her on the spot." | "Within a split second Gurkiren's head flipped back, her eyes rolled in her head, and the colour completely drained from her. I knew they had killed her on the spot." |
| Gurkiren was taken from the clinic to a hospital but died before arrival, on 2 April. She had been visiting relatives in India with her mother, father Santokh Singh Loyal and 17-year-old brother Simran, from Hockley, Birmingham. | Gurkiren was taken from the clinic to a hospital but died before arrival, on 2 April. She had been visiting relatives in India with her mother, father Santokh Singh Loyal and 17-year-old brother Simran, from Hockley, Birmingham. |
| In the UK an inquest was opened and adjourned at Birmingham coroner's court on 23 April after the coroner, Aidan Cotter, told the family no cause of death could be determined because their daughter's organs had been removed. | In the UK an inquest was opened and adjourned at Birmingham coroner's court on 23 April after the coroner, Aidan Cotter, told the family no cause of death could be determined because their daughter's organs had been removed. |
| Cotter has written to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to request information from the Indian authorities, although that is standard procedure with the death of any British national abroad. | Cotter has written to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to request information from the Indian authorities, although that is standard procedure with the death of any British national abroad. |
| A coroner's office spokesman said: "The family is very distressed and we're doing our best to help them but have explained we may not be able to provide the answers … It is going to take a significant amount of time, and we have explained to the family what will happen. It would not be fair to raise their expectations in relation to us being able to find out what happened." | A coroner's office spokesman said: "The family is very distressed and we're doing our best to help them but have explained we may not be able to provide the answers … It is going to take a significant amount of time, and we have explained to the family what will happen. It would not be fair to raise their expectations in relation to us being able to find out what happened." |
| He added that it could take at least a year to for the family to obtain the information they had requested. | He added that it could take at least a year to for the family to obtain the information they had requested. |
| An FCO spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Punjab on 2 April 2013. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time." | An FCO spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Punjab on 2 April 2013. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time." |
| Regarding Mahmood's letter, he added: "We are aware of a letter to William Hague and will reply in due course." | Regarding Mahmood's letter, he added: "We are aware of a letter to William Hague and will reply in due course." |
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