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2 NEWS SOUTH ASIAN OBSERVER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2017

Trial Begins For Indo-Canadian Man

Accused Of Killing His Wife

'She tried to stab me,' says Harinder Singh Cheema

SAO NEWS
MONTREAL
Jagmeet Singh May Seek he trial has begun for Indo-
Canadian man who has been
Suggestions On Federal Seat Taccused of killing his wife.
Harinder Singh Cheema, a Montreal
Selection resident is on trial for the murder of
his wife a decade ago. He has taken the
stand to testify in his own defence.
SAO NEWS
TORONTO Cheema claims the victim provoked
the attack by calling his mother and
DP's new leader Jagmeet Singh may seek sister whores during a heated
suggestions before deciding about which federal argument.
Nseat to fight on to get elected for the Parliament, While on the witness stand in his
the CBC has reported. second-degree murder trial on
A seat in either Brampton or Mississauga is possible if Wednesday, Harinder Singh Cheema,
one was vacant, he said. Before he was elected federal NDP 38, testified is his own defence in his
leader, Singh represented the provincial riding of trial where he is charged with the
Bramalea-Gore-Malton for the Ontario NDP for six years. second-degree murder of his wife,
"If a spot were to open up, I would consider it. But it has Gurpreet Kaur, on Dec. 24, 2007. Kaur
to open up," he was quoted saying. was stabbed 14 times inside the car had been stolen the previous While insisting several times that
Singh told CBC's Metro Morning on Tuesday that the couple's apartment on Deguire St. in October. He said Kaur was frustrated his immigration status had nothing to
amount of attention he has received has grown the St-Laurent borough and, as because she had difficulty do with the homicide, Cheema
significantly since he was elected leader. Cheema admitted to the jury, he fled breastfeeding their baby and their appeared to contradict himself later on
"I think in politics, what you get is a platform, or an the following day to Ontario before problems boiled over into frequent by saying: "I consider myself a victim.
audience, or a stage, to talk about issues that matter. And moving on a couple of days later to arguments. She abused a power (her role in his
that stage has just become a lot bigger." B.C., where he had friends. One of At the time, Cheema, who was born application to be a permanent resident
Singh said he is comfortable not having a seat and noted those friends, a fellow trucker, helped in India and had been turned down for in Canada)."
that the late NDP leader Jack Layton, originally a Toronto him cross the border to the U.S. where a refugee claim in Canada, was Cheema said that after he killed
city councillor, did not have a seat when he was elected to Cheema lived until he was arrested in residing in Montreal on a conditional Kaur, he collected his two children and
the party's top post. Layton spent time touring the country California in 2015. In the interim, he release and had been ordered to return drove away from the apartment. He
and meeting Canadians before he ran federally and Singh managed to return to his native India to India. While insisting several times asked a friend to look after the
said he would be "honoured" to do the same. and lived there, between 2011 and 2014, that his immigration status had children, but the man, who was also
"What I've said is that I'm confident and comfortable where he married a woman he met in nothing to do with the homicide, he informed of what had happened to
right now not having a seat," he said. California. also said Kaur had obtained Kaur, refused the request.
"I'm also open, though, if there is a seat that makes "My intention was not to kill my permanent resident status shortly Cheema said his next stop was a
sense and if there is a real genuine connection with the wife, but I killed my wife," Cheema said after they married in 2006, and that she neighbourhood police station in Park
riding. I'm open to it and I'm open to advice on it." early on in his testimony on held that over his head while they Extension where, he said, he planned
Asked about the fourth-place finish of the NDP in Wednesday. argued. He said she threatened "to to surrender himself and hand over
Quebec's recent Lac-Saint-Jean byelection, where the "I will ask for forgiveness of the cancel my (immigration) papers." his children.
candidate was initially a close second, he acknowledged victim and the victim's family." "It was a very difficult situation - out "I walked in and a police officer said:
the challenge of reinvigorating interest in the party in He also apologized to his two of control," Cheema said of the day he 'Can I help you?' I had my two children
Quebec. He noted he was elected leader more than two children saying "they lost both a killed his wife. in my hands and suddenly thought that
weeks after the byelection campaign began. mother and a father." While answering He said his infant son was crying I killed my wife and maybe they'll give
"I think, for the past two years, there was a sentiment questions from his lawyer, Clemente often and that Kaur felt ashamed that me the death penalty. So I backed out,"
that the party was kind of leaderless in the sense that Monterosso, he said his son and he had asked a friend to bring his he said, adding he contacted a woman
there wasn't a momentum going forward," he said. daughter now live in India with Kaur's mother over to the apartment to help he knew and she agreed to look after
"My response, though, when I went to Lac-Saint-Jean, parents. with the baby. As they argued, Cheema his children.
when I was spending time in Alma, was phenomenal. I was In the weeks before the homicide, said, Kaur hurled insults at him by "I see my kids in my head," Cheema
able to meet with lots of folks. There was a genuine Kaur and Cheema had their son, and calling his mother and sister whores. said, sobbing at one point. "The baby
warmth to the people I met." their daughter was roughly 18 months He also said she grabbed a knife from was 20 days (old). What kind of a father
Rebuilding in Quebec means emphasizing the common old. Cheema testified that the couple the kitchen and came toward him with am I? I just gave my kids to (the
ground between the social democratic principles of the were in dire straits, in part because his it. woman) and I walked away."
NDP and the progressive values of Quebec residents, he
not the future. He is personally opposed to the law, which Indo-Canadian Man's Killing in Road
said. "I'm looking forward to creating that connection
again." He said divisive laws, such as Quebec's Bill 62, are
bans face coverings when a person receives or provides
public services. Jagmeet Singh says: 'Back when I was a
kid, growing up, I would have never imagined even Crash Devastates Family
picturing myself as a national leader because there was no
one ever that looked like me at that stage.' (Canadian
SAO NEWS
Press) Oct. 21. His wife, Meena Devi, pregnant strike Rana, Singh said. He knows
TORONTO
"It's the exact opposite of what we want to see in with twins, and their four-year-old son investigators have spoken with two
policies. It's a policy that divides people," he said. ndo-Canadian man's killing in a Ankush have been staying with witnesses and he is hoping they can
Asked about the fact that research shows 66 per cent of fatal road crash left his family Prahlad Singh, a friend who has provide key information.
Ontario residents would support a similar law, according Idevastated and the family members known the family since 2010. Singh and another friend, Vara
to a poll by Ipsos Public Affairs, he said systematic racism of the deceased are finding hard to At Singh's bungalow on Monday, Prasad, met Rana while working in the
exists across Canada, not just in one region. "We need to believe that he is gone for ever, Ankush played with dinosaur toys, kitchens of upscale hotels in India, the
have the courage to confront that it is a reality," he said. Khushal Rana died after being hit by given to him by hospital staff during Fairmont Jaipur and the Jaipur
"First, you have to name it. Systematic racism exists. We a car on Oct. 21 at Saanich. one of Devi's routine checkups. Marriott Hotel.
have to call it out. We can't pick and choose when it comes Khushal Rana had only been in Ankush, who has big brown eyes and Rana left India in 2013, landing in
to human rights. It's going to take some discussion." Victoria for just over two months but curly hair tied in a bun, last saw his Surrey, where Prasad was working as a
Singh, the first member of a visible minority to lead a his death, after being hit by an SUV father on the morning of Oct. 18, when chef. The two worked at the Satya Asha
federal party, said the representation of visible minorities while walking to a bus stop to go to he blew out the candles on his birthday restaurant in Surrey.
is important at every political level. work, sparked an outpouring of cake. Rana had taken a few hours off Rana's permanent residency was
"It's a powerful step forward to have that community support for his family. work to celebrate with the family. He approved last April and his wife and
representation," he said. "Back when I was a kid, growing Family and friends of the 31-year-old worked as a chef at the Uptown child were able to join him in Canada.
up, I would have never imagined even picturing myself as man will remember his life at a funeral location of Sizzling Tandoor. With the twins on the way, the family
a national leader because there was no one ever that today. He was struck on Gorge Road Saanich police have not said what was planning for the future. "Now it's
looked like me at that stage." West on Oct. 18 and died in hospital on caused the SUV to go out of control and all shattered," Longia said.