Forbidden love, page 4
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say used the gang to force farmers to sell their land for a pittance. The landowner’s main go-between was a rogue police offi- cer — Insp. Joginder Singh. In court documents, police allege that a relative of Jassi’s contacted Joginder Singh, who set up a meeting with the gang leader. The order was to kill Mithu and get Jassi back to Canada. The fee was five lakh rupees (about $18,000 Cdn). An initial payment of four lakh rupees was made. But the crooks, realizing they had wealthy paymasters, decided to milk the conspirators, demanding expenses for entertainment, rental cars and cellphones. After several weeks, they said they could not find Jassi or Mithu. A relative of Jassi’s, according to Indian police, gave more money to the gang, insist- ing that the job be done properly. The murder In Narike, dusk brings a golden hue and a cool respite from the scorching sun. It was that kind of day on June 8, 2000. Jassi and Mithu were staying at his uncle’s home. Recalls Mithu: “On June 8, Jassi’s moth- er phoned her early in the morning … She had traced us to where we were staying … Jassi told her we were going to stay at the place for another two to three days.” Mithu said he had earlier spoken to Jassi’s mother, who told him, “You have defamed us socially by marrying our daugh- ter…” That night Jassi and Mithu went to the nearby town of Malerkotla, Punjab’s only predominantly Muslim area, to do some shopping and have dinner. “We were coming back home on our scooter … On the way, I saw one car was parked on the side of the road and two per- sons were coming toward me … Our scoot- er was very slow … Suddenly the two men attacked me,” said Mithu. “One of the men with a hockey stick hit Jassi, who was sitting behind me, and she fell down from the scooter.” Nearby, in another car, five other assailants armed with sharpened hockey sticks and swords were waiting. They joined the attack. “I left the scooter and tried to give her a hand to get up but suddenly they attacked me … I got injured … They wounded my head and they kidnapped her. “I was unconscious there … After 30 or 40 minutes I woke up … I felt she was call- ing me for help … When I got up there was nothing.” Thinking Mithu was dead, the assailants bundled Jassi into a car and drove her to an abandoned farmhouse outside the industrial city of Ludhiana. Investigators say Jassi was told to forget what had happened and return home to Canada. She refused. She was bound to a chair and told that her husband had been killed. The leader of the gang wrapped his shirt around her neck and steadily tightened it as he tried to force her to comply. Police say the leader of the contract killers used a cellphone to call Jassi’s fam- ily in Maple Ridge. In documents filed with the Indian court, Sangrur police Senior Supt. Jatinder Aulakh alleges: “The mother talked to the girl and they talked for a few minutes … Jaswinder gave the phone to the killers.” Police allege: “The order to kill came from Canada … so they slit her throat.” Jassi’s body was found the next day in a ditch about a kilometre away from the abandoned farmhouse. Those who saw Mithu after he was taken to the Christian Medical Centre in Ludhi- ana said they could not believe he survived the attack. The swords had cut deep into his head, back and hands. As Mithu lay at death’s door, his family and friends cremated Jassi’s body. Almost a month later, his mother final- ly broke the news to Mithu in hospital: Jassi was dead. The aftermath “We have nothing to do with the murder … It’s all lies,” said Surjit Singh Badesha after The Province broke the story of Jassi’s death last year. He admitted the family opposed the marriage on cultural grounds but denied allegations he was a principal in the conspiracy. As relatives and friends gathered to grieve Jassi at the family’s Maple Ridge home, Punjab police from Jagroan and San- grur were busy exchanging notes and track- ing suspects. Within weeks they had several suspects, including 10 members of the Narike gang and another of Jassi’s uncles. They seized the cellphones, weapons and vehicles used in the incident. From a hiding place, rogue officer Jogin- der Singh wrote to a Punjab newspaper denying his involvement. Last February he gave himself up, was demoted and joined the other suspects at a maximum-security jail in Sangrur, which houses some of India’s most noto- rious criminals. Indian police allege that before he gave himself up he was behind two attempts to kill or injure witnesses in what they have termed the “Jassi case.” In one incident, potential witnesses were allegedly hit by a truck. In the other, two gunmen opened fire at Mithu’s house. He was not at home. Although a year has passed, tensions sur- rounding Jassi’s murder have not lessened in her family’s village of Khosa. Some insist she should never have disobeyed her par- ents. Others feel she should have been allowed to marry the man she loved. Last week, two groups representing these different views clashed in Ludhiana. Police arrested seven people, including a key wit- ness in the murder probe, who told police he is receiving threats to change his state- ments about what happened to Jassi. In B.C., Jassi’s family is refusing to talk about the incident. Their lawyer, Narinder Kang, said the family is distraught at the allegations made against them and the com- mentary in the media. “We have not received anything specific or general from the Department of Justice,” Kang said of the process that is now under way in India to extradite Jassi’s mother and uncle to face charges in India. The request by Punjabi police is now with the Indian Home Affairs Ministry. Irene Arseneau of the Department of Jus- tice in Ottawa said it could take up to two years to decide on such a request. “It does not matter how long it takes … Those responsible should pay,” says a friend of Jassi’s, who asked not to be named. “She would have been the proud- est and happiest girl if only she was left alone to marry the man she loved.” A13 Sunday, June 10, 2001 The Province • News SPECIAL REPORT Jassi won the respect of Senior Supt. Jaskaran Singh of the Jagroan police. ‘After talking with her I was really convinced … She was a bold and beautiful girl,’ he said. Some of the suspects in the investigation into the murder of Jassi and attempted murder of Mithu, photographed in the prison at Sangrur. Nick Procaylo — The Province Surjit Singh Badesha is leader of Jassi’s Maple Ridge clan, said to be ‘distraught’ at the allegations against them. ‘The mother talked to the girl [on a cellphone] and they talked for a few minutes … Jaswinder gave the phone to the killers’ … ‘The order to kill came from Canada … so they slit her throat’ — Indian police
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Transcript of Forbidden love, page 4
say used the gang to force farmers to selltheir land for a pittance. The landowner’smain go-between was a rogue police offi-cer — Insp. Joginder Singh.
In court documents, police allege that arelative of Jassi’s contacted Joginder Singh,who set up a meeting with the gang leader.
The order was to kill Mithu and get Jassiback to Canada. The fee was five lakhrupees (about $18,000 Cdn).
An initial payment of four lakh rupeeswas made. But the crooks, realizing theyhad wealthy paymasters, decided to milkthe conspirators, demanding expenses forentertainment, rental cars and cellphones.
After several weeks, they said they couldnot find Jassi or Mithu.
A relative of Jassi’s, according to Indianpolice, gave more money to the gang, insist-ing that the job be done properly.
The murderIn Narike, dusk brings a golden hue and
a cool respite from the scorching sun.It was that kind of day on June 8, 2000.Jassi and Mithu were staying at his
uncle’s home.Recalls Mithu: “On June 8, Jassi’s moth-
er phoned her early in the morning … Shehad traced us to where we were staying …Jassi told her we were going to stay at theplace for another two to three days.”
Mithu said he had earlier spoken toJassi’s mother, who told him, “You havedefamed us socially by marrying our daugh-ter…”
That night Jassi and Mithu went to thenearby town of Malerkotla, Punjab’s onlypredominantly Muslim area, to do someshopping and have dinner.
“We were coming back home on ourscooter … On the way, I saw one car wasparked on the side of the road and two per-sons were coming toward me … Our scoot-er was very slow … Suddenly the two menattacked me,” said Mithu.
“One of the men with a hockey stick hitJassi, who was sitting behind me, and shefell down from the scooter.”
Nearby, in another car, five otherassailants armed with sharpened hockeysticks and swords were waiting. Theyjoined the attack.
“I left the scooter and tried to give hera hand to get up but suddenly they attackedme … I got injured … They wounded myhead and they kidnapped her.
“I was unconscious there … After 30 or40 minutes I woke up … I felt she was call-ing me for help … When I got up there wasnothing.”
Thinking Mithu was dead, the assailantsbundled Jassi into a car and drove her toan abandoned farmhouse outside theindustrial city of Ludhiana.
Investigators say Jassi was told to forgetwhat had happened and return home toCanada. She refused.
She was bound to a chair and told thather husband had been killed. The leaderof the gang wrapped his shirt around herneck and steadily tightened it as he triedto force her to comply.
Police say the leader of the contractkillers used a cellphone to call Jassi’s fam-ily in Maple Ridge.
In documents filed with the Indian court,Sangrur police Senior Supt. Jatinder Aulakhalleges: “The mother talked to the girl andthey talked for a few minutes … Jaswindergave the phone to the killers.”
Police allege: “The order to kill came fromCanada … so they slit her throat.”
Jassi’s body was found the next day ina ditch about a kilometre away from theabandoned farmhouse.
Those who saw Mithu after he was takento the Christian Medical Centre in Ludhi-ana said they could not believe he survivedthe attack. The swords had cut deep intohis head, back and hands.
As Mithu lay at death’s door, his familyand friends cremated Jassi’s body.
Almost a month later, his mother final-ly broke the news to Mithu in hospital: Jassiwas dead.
The aftermath“We have nothing to do with the murder
… It’s all lies,” said Surjit Singh Badeshaafter The Province broke the story of Jassi’sdeath last year. He admitted the familyopposed the marriage on cultural groundsbut denied allegations he was a principalin the conspiracy.
As relatives and friends gathered togrieve Jassi at the family’s Maple Ridgehome, Punjab police from Jagroan and San-grur were busy exchanging notes and track-ing suspects.
Within weeks they had several suspects,including 10 members of the Narike gangand another of Jassi’s uncles.
They seized the cellphones, weapons and
vehicles used in the incident.From a hiding place, rogue officer Jogin-
der Singh wrote to a Punjab newspaperdenying his involvement.
Last February he gave himself up, wasdemoted and joined the other suspectsat a maximum-security jail in Sangrur,which houses some of India’s most noto-rious criminals.
Indian police allege that before he gavehimself up he was behind two attemptsto kill or injure witnesses in what they havetermed the “Jassi case.”
In one incident, potential witnesses wereallegedly hit by a truck. In the other, twogunmen opened fire at Mithu’s house. Hewas not at home.
Although a year has passed, tensions sur-rounding Jassi’s murder have not lessenedin her family’s village of Khosa. Some insistshe should never have disobeyed her par-ents. Others feel she should have beenallowed to marry the man she loved.
Last week, two groups representing thesedifferent views clashed in Ludhiana. Policearrested seven people, including a key wit-ness in the murder probe, who told policehe is receiving threats to change his state-ments about what happened to Jassi.
In B.C., Jassi’s family is refusing to talkabout the incident. Their lawyer, NarinderKang, said the family is distraught at theallegations made against them and the com-mentary in the media.
“We have not received anything specificor general from the Department of Justice,”Kang said of the process that is now underway in India to extradite Jassi’s mother anduncle to face charges in India. The requestby Punjabi police is now with the IndianHome Affairs Ministry.
Irene Arseneau of the Department of Jus-tice in Ottawa said it could take up to twoyears to decide on such a request.
“It does not matter how long it takes …Those responsible should pay,” says afriend of Jassi’s, who asked not to benamed. “She would have been the proud-est and happiest girl if only she was leftalone to marry the man she loved.”
A13Sunday, June 10, 2001 The Province • News
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
Jassi won the respect of Senior Supt. Jaskaran Singh of the Jagroan police. ‘Aftertalking with her I was really convinced … She was a bold and beautiful girl,’ he said.
Some of the suspects in the investigation into the murder of Jassi and attemptedmurder of Mithu, photographed in the prison at Sangrur.
Nick Procaylo — The Province
Surjit Singh Badesha is leader of Jassi’sMaple Ridge clan, said to be ‘distraught’at the allegations against them.
‘The mother talked to thegirl [on a cellphone] and theytalked for a few minutes …Jaswinder gave the phone tothe killers’ … ‘The order tokill came from Canada … so
they slit her throat’— Indian police
