Canadian Woman Murdered Abroad

[Concerned]

Tonight I watched the story on the Fifth Estate about Jassi Sidhu, and remembered the stories of her murder 5 years ago.

I was distraught to learn that the RCMP have not aggressively investigated this case and have no answers for the public as to what became of the allegations that her family arranged and paid for her murder in India.

Jassi was a Canadian citizen, a woman whose rights should have been protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canadian women deserve protection of these rights regardless of their heritage. Canadian women deserve justice when these rights are violated.

The Fifth Estate pointed out very strong ties between Jassi's murderers and her family here in Maple Ridge and there is ample evidence to have put this investigation on the RCMP Priority list. 5 years have gone by and the RCMP has no answers for the public, even as to the nature of the investigation. As a Canadian woman I find this completely unacceptable.

Throughout the world women have precious few rights that we enjoy here in Canada. Canada should be strong advocate of women's rights internationally. Leaving Jassi's death uninvestigated when the accused conspirators are her family right here in British Columbia is not setting any kind of example for women's rights internationally. Are ethnic women here in Canada gaining a sense that they have any protection under Canadian law from threats of violence by their own family or cultural members?

How many Indian families can hold their own daughters hostage and under threat of death or violence should they not obey family orders on arranged marriages? Women in Canada have the right to choose their husbands and should not be treated as slaves of their own families. Canadian laws apply to everybody. Not just those who were born here under European heritage.

With no justice on this case, how many women can travel freely outside of Canada without the fear of being hunted down and murdered by conspirators here in Canada? This case goes far outside cultural boundaries and has great meaning to every Canadian woman. Suppose husbands start arranging for murders of their wives when their wives travel abroad? 549 women in the US were conveniently murdered at the hands of their husbands in 2004. How many in Canada? This case shows anybody plotting or planning the murder of a women the convenient way to do it, and get away with it.

If you care about this case, lobby the government to put pressure on the RCMP to step up an appropriate investigation against Jassi's family, for their involvement of her death. All Canadian women deserve to learn that justice has prevailed on this case.

[geoffrey]

The RCMP doesn't have any authority to investigate murders abroad. I saw this as well and its tradgic that more pressure hasn't been put on India to take a look at this.

[Melanie_]

We're seeing this played out again here in Winnipeg this week. Rani Sandhu, a 21 year old Canadian citizen, travelled with her husband and 10 month old daughter to Punjab last week. Once they were there, her husband called her relatives here and said she had died of a heart attack, and had already been cremated. Her family hasn't heard from the husband since.

This death is suspicious, and the Canadian government has an obligation to all the citizens of Canada to press hard to find out the truth. You are right that we can't conduct the investigation, but we also need to pressure those who can to dig for the truth and lay charges if warranted.

Sorry, I tried to make a link to the story in the Winnipeg Free Press, but you can't access it if you aren't a subscriber.

[YankAbroad]

As an American who lives abroad, I accept, the moment I get on a plane leaving US soil, that my rights, freedoms and security from the US government largely disappear.

Everyone else who gets on a plane, consciously or unconsciously, for a foreign destination accepts the same.

I am not protected by the US constitution when I leave the USA. Canadians are not protected by the Canadian constitution when they leave Canada.

While the murder was indeed tragic, it's not the role of the RCMP or Canadian government to attempt to "investigate" it or punish the perpetrator when the perpetrator did not commit the crime within their jurisdiction. The victim accepted this when she left Canadian territory.

[Argus]

The RCMP doesn't have any authority to investigate murders abroad. I saw this as well and its tradgic that more pressure hasn't been put on India to take a look at this.

Nonsense. They have full authority to investigate a homicide when it was planned, organized, paid for by Canadians in Canada, of a Canadian citizen. Conspiracy to commit homicide is as serious a crime as commiting the homicide itself. They have already admitted they have the authority. They have even claimed there is an investigation underway. But I believe that to be a lie. The very first thing any even semi-competent homicide detective would have done would have been to go to India, interview Indian police, interview the men who murdered the girl, and take evidence as to the involvement of her mother and uncle in Canada. That has not been done. Her friends have not been interviewed. The suspects in Canada have not been interviewed.

There is NO investigation underway. The RCMP are lying when they say there is.

It is my opinion that the inexplicable failure of the RCMP to even investigate this matter can only be because of political pressure brought to bear upon them by both the federal and BC governments. The Sikh community represents a powerful lobby group and it is apparent that the majority of the Sikh community either fully approves of the murder of this "dishonorable" girl, or at least, does not want the bad publicity to their community which an arrest and trial would involve. The murder suspect is still an honored elder at one of BC's biggest, richest temples.

Now that the Liberals are gone, and the primary source of political pressure on the RCMP (I'm guessing our somewhat sleazy, almost-former health minister) has lost his power there might now be an investigation.

[Argus]

As an American who lives abroad, I accept, the moment I get on a plane leaving US soil, that my rights, freedoms and security from the US government largely disappear.

Everyone else who gets on a plane, consciously or unconsciously, for a foreign destination accepts the same.

I am not protected by the US constitution when I leave the USA. Canadians are not protected by the Canadian constitution when they leave Canada.

While the murder was indeed tragic, it's not the role of the RCMP or Canadian government to attempt to "investigate" it or punish the perpetrator when the perpetrator did not commit the crime within their jurisdiction. The victim accepted this when she left Canadian territory.

Try again, Yank

Criminal Code of Canada

465. (1) Except where otherwise expressly provided by law, the following provisions apply in respect of conspiracy:

(a) every one who conspires with any one to commit murder or to cause another person to be murdered, whether in Canada or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a maximum term of imprisonment for life;

[YankAbroad]

Oh, I'm aware that Canada, the UK, the USA and other countries try to assert overseas jurisdiction outside of their own territory.

So do the Saudis, Iranians and others.

Such assertions are illegal under international law, and more importantly, have no validity because the countries in question don't have the power to implement them. What, is Canada going to invade India to find the perps or something?

People should take responsibility for themselves. When you leave Canada, you leave Canadian protection and jurisdiction. If you don't want to take that risk, don't leave Canada.

[tml12]

Oh, I'm aware that Canada, the UK, the USA and other countries try to assert overseas jurisdiction outside of their own territory.

So do the Saudis, Iranians and others.

Such assertions are illegal under international law, and more importantly, have no validity because the countries in question don't have the power to implement them. What, is Canada going to invade India to find the perps or something?

People should take responsibility for themselves. When you leave Canada, you leave Canadian protection and jurisdiction. If you don't want to take that risk, don't leave Canada.

YankAbroad,

I think you're right. If you go to a foreign country, especially one where there are wars or otherwise unsafe things going on and you are not in a gated resort community you need to register with the consulate and let friends and family know where you are.

The RCMP has no jurisdiction overseas and the Canadian government is not known for protecting its citizens overseas, short of "Foreign Affairs will get back to you... "

People need to be wary...everyone is looking out for themselves...

[Argus]

Oh, I'm aware that Canada, the UK, the USA and other countries try to assert overseas jurisdiction outside of their own territory.

So do the Saudis, Iranians and others.

Such assertions are illegal under international law, and more importantly, have no validity because the countries in question don't have the power to implement them. What, is Canada going to invade India to find the perps or something?

People should take responsibility for themselves. When you leave Canada, you leave Canadian protection and jurisdiction. If you don't want to take that risk, don't leave Canada.

You clearly don't know anything about what we're talking about. A brief recap is that a young Sikh woman in Canada fell in love with someone her mother and uncle dissaproved of. The allegation is that her mother and uncle conceived of a plot to have her murdered by luring her to India, where they would arrange for criminals to kill her. They had involved a crooked Indian police officer to help cover up what they felt would not be a very extensive investigation anyway. The girl was murdered, the criminals arrested. They testified that they were contacted from Canada, and sent money, in order to kill this girl.

The mother and uncle were, and remain, in Canada. In fact, had they been in India they would already have been tried and convicted alongside the actual killers they hired.

Understand now?

[August1991]

Here's a link to this case, and it corroborates Argus' version.

Such incidents are far too common in the Indian subcontinent. Usually, the young woman or man commits suicide.

----

Yank, I nevertheless agree with your basic point that a Canadian (or American) who travels abroad is assuming a variety of risks.

And BTW, the purpose of the Charter of Rights is to protect us against the actions of our own governments. The Charter has nothing to do with this case. Argus is right however that a crime may have occurred in Canada and the RCMP should be investigating and pressing charges. Does it take six years to do that?

[geoffrey]

Ya the internal crime that happened in contracting the kills definitely should be investigated. Are you sure it hasn't been?

[newbie]

Yank, I nevertheless agree with your basic point that a Canadian (or American) who travels abroad is assuming a variety of risks.

Including having your mother plan your murder upon your arrival in the country you are visiting?

[geoffrey]

Yank, I nevertheless agree with your basic point that a Canadian (or American) who travels abroad is assuming a variety of risks.

Including having your mother plan your murder upon your arrival in the country you are visiting?

Well that doesn't mean Canada needs to send RCMP to India to find out whats going on. The hiring of the murder happened in Canada and these people need to go to jail. Those in India though, is the responsibility of Indian authorities.

What would be even better... a deportion to India.

[betsy]

Plotting to murder and hiring a killer, aren't those serious crimes? Didn't the plotting occur in Canada?

The parents are the "masterminds" in this criminal scheme...they are either more guilty of the crime, if not equal to that of the killer who did the actual killing.

That the two countries are connected by a murder involving citizens of both countries, should there not be a justifiable and legal reason under international law for criminal investigators to gain access and conduct an investigation in India? India is not a hostile country, and don't we provide foreign aid to this?

If there is a reluctance on India's part, then diplomacy may be the key...diplomatic application of pressure.

[YankAbroad]

A deportation to India would be fantastic, since they have the death penalty. But it's unlikely, because they have the death penalty, and the current en vogue trend seems to be to value the life of the killer (but not his victims).

[Argus]

Ya the internal crime that happened in contracting the kills definitely should be investigated. Are you sure it hasn't been?

The first RCMP response was that this is none of their business. After a couple of years they admitted that, well, yes, conspiracy to commit murder was a crime in Canada, sort of, and so they'd look into it. The latest interview says that an investigation is "ongoing". However, as I pointed out above, any such investigation would start with requesting information and evidence, including testimony from the killers, from the Indian police, and that has not happened. The RCMP has not even contacted Indian police, nor have they interviewed anyone involved in the case. So I have to ask... just what does this "ongoing investigation" consist of?

The RCMP were politicised under the Mulroney government, and that only got worse under Chretien. They are easily cowed by political pressure.

[Shady]

Everyone else who gets on a plane, consciously or unconsciously, for a foreign destination accepts the same

This is a classic case of blaming the victim. Just like a woman deserves to get raped because she was wearing a short skirt, right? The Canadian Government has been doing a pathetic job of protecting it's citizens overseas. It's one of the many reasons I'm glad the corrupt, do-nothing Liberals are out of power. Maybe we'll see a refreshing change.

Remembering Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-Canadian Photo Journalist Killed by the

Fundamentalist Regime of Iran

Remembering Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-Canadian Photo Journalist Killed by the

Fundamentalist Regime of Iran

Link

This is not an accepted action just because one leaves their country! That's insane!

[Concerned]

The RCMP has admitted that they do have jurisdiction in Canada on this case as the conspiracy occurred on Canadian soil. There shouldn’t be any problem getting the government of India to cooperate as Indian authorities have already tried the criminals that were evidently hired by Jassi’s mom and uncle to kill her. They have been tried and sent to jail. In fact evidence pointed out at the trial pointed to the uncle as having hired the criminals, but of course the uncle resides in Canada.

There is ample evidence of the links between the uncle, mom and the killers abroad, which the Fifth Estate pointed out: 1. Canadian telephone bills between the conspirators with numerous calls to the killers right up to the day of the murder ...and 2. the family sent no one for Jassi’s body. According to Fifth Estate, strangers buried her in India, without her own family’s representation from Canada and 3. Jassi had numerous discussions with her friends about fears of her uncle. 4. Finally, do you think the fact that Jassi was trying to escape an arranged marriage to this same uncle might have had something to do with it? The parents were trying to arrange a marriage between rich uncle (in his 60’s), and dear daughter (in her 20’s). It’s really too bad there isn’t a law to protect Indian women against that one.

I believe Argus is right and that the case has been ignored by the RCMP for political reasons, because the accused uncle is a powerful man in the Sikh community.

But isn’t this exactly the type of thing that creates misunderstandings between cultures, and the fear and accusations that are evident on postings by Leafless and others under “minorities and polling stations”. When minorities are not able to follow the laws in Canada and use their “culture” to hide behind, sorry, no excuses. Canadian law is Canadian law.

August: “And BTW, the purpose of the Charter of Rights is to protect us against the actions of our own governments”…apologies for my lack of in-depth knowledge of the law, but do we not have the right to be protected by our government under this act? Perhaps you know the appropriate act that would apply to this case?

So then all you conservative supporters, what can be done to contact your MP’s to pressure the RCMP to take some action? As Melanie has pointed out there are others like it and there will continue to be until someone is found responsible and until Canadian law is upheld.

[betsy]

A deportation to India would be fantastic, since they have the death penalty. But it's unlikely, because they have the death penalty, and the current en vogue trend seems to be to value the life of the killer (but not his victims).

For once I agree with you!

Yes, it's not acceptable nowadays to send someone who will face the death penalty....or who would be likely to rot in jail that ain't as posh as Canada's Club Med. You'll never hear the end of all the whining from the bleeding hearts.

[fixer1]

I watched the program about this and I was shocked at the lack of responce by the RCMP and I believe that some where here in Canada, there has to be an agency or body of government that should be in charge of finding out why things have played out as they did. It is a sad day when India shows more justice then Canada, in what can only be called a total lack of will here to bring the main people behind the contract killing of their family member.

I do not care whether these people are high members of the sikth relgion or not. It still does not give our police the right to ignore what is plainly evident. It is a shame that a TV show has to show all the evidence to the police and get the answer "an investigation is on going ". The fact that it has been 5 years since this all happened is appalling.