Gisborne residents are raising money to help the family of an Indian man believed to have died in mysterious circumstances.
Police expect a post-mortem on the body of a man found in scrub in Gisborne will confirm it to be that of Amandeep Singh, 22, who disappeared on 29 December last year.
Friend and flatmate Vivek Punj said Mr Singh told him he was going to a music festival in the city that night, but never returned home.
The body was discovered by people walking along Kaiti Beach last Thursday night.
Gisborne District Councillor Manu Caddie, who lives in the suburb of Kaiti where Mr Singh's car was found abandoned on 30 December, says an appeal to help his family with travel and funeral costs is getting a big response from the community.
Mr Caddie says locals are shocked by the tragedy and want to show their support.
Amandeep Singh was working as a contractor in kiwifruit orchards and came to Gisborne in September last year.
