Body of missing Victoria man Parminder Singh Grewal found near Duncan

The search for a missing Victoria-area man has ended in tragedy.

According to a GoFundMe launched by his family, 33-year-old Parminder Singh Grewal was found deceased in a wooded area near Duncan on June 16th, nearly a month after he was first reported missing.

Parminder had been the subject of an extensive search effort involving police, search and rescue teams and members of the community after he disappeared in late May.

VicPD first issued a public appeal after Grewal was reported missing. 

Police said he was last seen on May 22nd at approximately 6 p.m. leaving the area of the 200 block of Gorge Road East in Victoria.

Investigators later determined he had travelled to Duncan, where North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP confirmed he was dropped off by a rideshare service near the 100 block of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Cowichan Search and Rescue and several neighbouring search teams spent days searching the area after Parminder was reportedly last seen walking southwest along Allenby Road on the evening of May 23rd.

The search also involved members of Nanaimo Search and Rescue, Ladysmith Search and Rescue and Salt Spring Island Search and Rescue.

Several days later, Cowichan Search and Rescue announced that the search had been suspended pending further investigation, while friends and community members continued looking for answers.

In the GoFundMe campaign launched this week, Grewal’s brother, Gurwinder Singh Dharour, said the family received the devastating news on June 16th.

“Parminder came to Canada in 2023 as an international worker full of dreams, hope and determination,” wrote Dharour.

“He worked tirelessly to build a better future for himself and to support his family back home in India.”

The fundraiser aims to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of returning Grewal’s body to India, where his family hopes to hold funeral services and perform his final rites.

As of publication, the GoFundMe campaign has raised $12,436 toward its goal of $60,000.

Police have not publicly released any additional information regarding the circumstances surrounding Parminder’s death.