Angry in the Great White North

In poking around the edges of the story of the murder of Shemina Cheema (formerly Shemina Hirji) in a home invasion in British Columbia, I came across this story of a murder in India, involving a Sikh family, with origins in Canada. It is a story of alleged wife abuse, of an arranged but unwanted marriage, and of how an alleged murderer was able to recruit help in his plot from among the male members of his family.

Police in India laid charges against Canadian Jagtar Singh Mallhi, 32 from Calgary, accusing him of murdering his wife Kiranpal Kaur.

Why? She had found out he had engaged in an affair. Worse though, was that Jagtar Singh Mallhi had decided that Kiranpal Kaur's university educated sister Jaspal Kaur would marry his illiterate nephew. Jaspal refused to comply with Malhi's plan, and Kiranpal refused to help her husband to convince her sister to submit to the marriage.

Humiliated, Malhi became abusive and beat Kiranpal. But then Malhi allegedly decided to kill Kiranpal in India, and his abusive behaviour changed:

The couple’s other daughter Jaspal Kaur, said her sister was constantly beaten and thrown out of the family home in Canada.

“My sister was thrown out of her house in the chilly winter when the snow was falling…she was constantly beaten and they had threatened take her daughter away and send her to India,” said Jaspal.

“In the last few months, everything changed and the in-laws became very sweet to Kiranpal. Her husband brought her to India.

“This was all part of the plan to bring her to India and kill her”.

Malhi recruited several members of his family to help commit the crime:

Also accused in the murder plot were Jagtar’s brothers Jagdish Singh, who resides in Canada, and Malkit Singh, nephew Davinder Singh and brother-in-law Sukha Singh.

Jagtar’s family has denied any role in the murder.

Kiranpal Kaur’s parents Shamsher Singh, a farmer and mother, Balbir Kaur told the South Asian Post in an interview that the conspiracy to kill their daughter was hatched in Canada.

Malhi is accused of hiring a contract killer as well:

Police accused the family of striking a deal with contract killer Gurcharan Singh alias Channi for 200,000 rupees (about C$5,200).

Channi was given an initial payment of 50,000 rupees (about C$1,300). The contract killer is on the run.

On June 26, police say Jagtar asked his wife to drive him to Lohara Chowk. Along the way, Channi waved the car down. Kiranpal was dragged out of the car, and killed with a "sharp-edged weapon".

A Canadian report on the murder quoted the autopsy as determining that Kiranpal suffered 18 cuts from an "axe-type" weapon.

Her body was placed back in the driver's seat. Jagtar was covered in blood but had no injuries, and sat back in the passenger seat. The car was found the next day by police, and Jagtar was taken to hospital, where, suffering no injuries, he claimed the car was struck from behind by a truck. Police decided that the injuries were inconsistent with the accident as described. Further investigation uncovered the plot, and Jagtar attempted to make his getaway to catch a flight back to Canada, but was picked up by police.

Six people have been charged -- Jagtar, his brothers Jagdish and Malkit, his nephew Davinder, and his brother-in-law Sukha, as well as the contract killer Channi.

No word that I can find that India is pursuing extradition of the alleged conspirator Jagdish living in Canada.

A wife brutally murdered, a husband unharmed, a story that is inconsistent with the evidence, a family conspiracy.

Quite the story.

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