The tragic murder of Reena Virk—which inspired the major television series Under the Bridge—and its aftermath are recounted in heart-wrenching detail by her grieving father.

The horrifying killing of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk at the hands of her peers in 1997 shocked and stunned the public. This callous act of violence drew nation-wide attention to bullying and cast a spotlight on Virk’s mourning parents, Manjit and Suman, who had already been let down by social services and law enforcement by the time of their daughter’s murder. In Reena: A Father’s Story, Manjit Virk speaks out for the first time about his family’s life before and after Reena’s death. This is a powerful story of an immigrant family’s struggles to make a new life in a new country, the cultural clashes they endured, the anguish they experienced over their loss of their child, and, ultimately, their perseverance in the face of unspeakable tragedy and public scrutiny.

Manjit Virk was born in the state of Punjab in northern India in 1955. He has a master’s degree in English literature, and he immigrated to Victoria, BC, in 1979. He worked for 20 years for a Victoria-based manufacturer and is currently a freelance interpreter and translator of Punjabi and Hindi. He enjoys walking, basking in the sun, reading and caring for children and pets. He is especially interested in family and societal issues. Manjit and his wife, Suman, live in Victoria.

Manjit Virk's profile page