Jagpreet Singh has been convicted of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his wife, Balwinder Kaur, six days after he arrived in Canada. British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Andrea Ormiston ruled that Singh intentionally killed Kaur, 41, in their rented Abbotsford residence on March 15, 2024.
The coroner determined Kaur died from significant blood loss after sustaining seven stab wounds to her neck and chest. Singh did not dispute stabbing his wife of 20 years but claimed he acted in self-defense after Kaur allegedly threatened him with a knife during an argument about him seeking employment.
Justice Ormiston rejected Singh's defense, stating his testimony regarding the events leading to Kaur's death was "untrustworthy and unreliable." The judge found no reasonable doubt about Singh's intention to kill and dismissed the possibility of self-defense, noting that even if Singh's version of events were partially true, his actions were not reasonable in the circumstances.
Singh, who moved to Canada from India on March 9, 2024, had argued for a lesser charge of manslaughter, claiming he acted in the "heat of passion caused by sudden provocation" and had no memory of the fatal attack. Kaur had relocated to Canada in 2022 to join their daughter at university, and Singh had moved to be with her after his visa application was initially denied.
A neighbor discovered Kaur on the floor of their basement suite with a large pool of blood around her when visiting their home at approximately 10:38 p.m. Singh was present in the suite at the time and was arrested by police. Kaur was taken to Abbotsford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on March 16.
Singh is scheduled to return to court in October for a psychiatric assessment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
