Mother, Uncle Extradited From Canada In Daughter's 2000 Dishonour Killing

Chandigarh: Eighteen years after the ‘dishonour killing’ of Canada-born Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, her mother and uncle, accused of the murder, have been extradited to India by Canadian authorities, police said today.

A team of Punjab Police has been dispatched to Delhi to bring the two accused to the state for presenting them in a court in Sangrur, they said.

Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu’s mother Malkit Sidhu and uncle Surjit Badesha had been charged with the murder. A case in this regard had been registered at Amargarh police station in Sangrur.

“They will be handed over to our team (Punjab Police) at the Delhi airport today,” Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg told news agency Press Trust of India over the phone. “They will be brought to Sangrur and then presented in a court,” he said.

A Canadian court had in 2016 stopped the extradition of Malkit and Surjit to India to face trial for the ‘dishonour killing’ of Malkit’s daughter over concerns that they may not get justice in the country.

However, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered their extradition of the duo in 2017, but the decision was later stayed after the accused sought judicial review of the decision.

Their plea for staying the extradition proceedings was rejected by a court in Canada in December 2018, finally paving the way for their extradition to India.

Jaswinder Kaur, better known as Jassi, had fallen in love with Sukhwinder Singh Mithu, an autorickshaw driver, after she visited Punjab. She was the resident of Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The two of them got married against the wishes of Jassi’s affluent family in 1999.

Jassi, 25 at that time, and Sukhwinder Mithu were reportedly attacked by contract killers on June 8, 2000 at village Narike of Malerkotla in Sangrur. The police had said that the contract killers were hired by Jassi’s mother and uncle.

Jassi’s body was dumped in a drain with her throat slit, while Sukhwinder Mithu was severely attacked and left to die. He, however, survived.

The Punjab Police registered a case in this connection in July 2000 and named Malkit and Surjit in the FIR for allegedly conspiring to kill Jassi.

In May 2002, the police contacted Canadian authorities for the extradition of Malkit and Badesha. On the extradition of his late wife’s alleged killers, Sukhwinder Mithu said he was very happy and demanded strict punishment for them.