Indo-Canadian Sikh admits stabbing wife to death

Toronto, June 26 (IANS) A 40-year-old Indo-Canadian Sikh has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of his wife Harpreet Kaur Gill late last year at their home in British Columbia province, media reports said.

Navinder Gill admitted to stabbing the mother of their three children multiple times at their home in the 12700-block of 66th Avenue in Surrey on December 7, 2022, CBC News reported.

Harpreet, the 40-year-old victim worked as a teacher, was found critically injured from multiple stab wounds and died later in hospital.

Navinder was taken in custody on December 15 by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), and was charged the next day with the second degree murder of his wife.

Navinder's lawyer said his client understands he made a mistake.

"He was very remorseful in court today. It's a very tragic incident, that's all I can say," lawyer Gagan Nahal told CBC News last week.

Navinder, who entered the guilty plea on June 22, will be sentenced at the New Westminster Supreme Court on a date to be set next month.

According to Nahal, Harpreet's family is expected to give victim impact statements at the sentencing.

"Harpreet's parents and her brother reside in India. They are devastated and finding it incredibly difficult to bear the loss of their beautiful daughter and sister," according to a GoFundMe statement.

It said that Harpreet's parents were concerned about the future of their grandchildren and seeking legal advice regarding their custody.

In May this year, Davinder Kaur, a Canadian Sikh mother of four, was stabbed to death by her husband Nav Nishan Singh in Sparrow Park, Brampton.

Cases of domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence and conjugal violence, are not rare in Canada.

In 2021, Statistics Canada recorded 788 homicide victims; of those, 90 were killed by an intimate partner.