“We did not expect that our failure in fulfilling their dowry demand will cost our daughter her life. Her killer Sunny Bhangu and his parents should be sentenced to death,” Ravinder’s father told the media in Punjab following the murder last week of his daughter Ravinder Bhangu in Surrey.
SURREY – The Indo-Canadian man who killed his estranged wife at an office of a Punjabi newspaper in Surrey made his second appearance in court this week.
Manmeet Singh “Sunny” Bhangu looked confident and unfazed as he was ushered into the glass prisoner’s box in Surrey Provincial Court Friday morning, his arms crossed.
Wearing orange prison garb, the dark-haired 26-year-old glanced around the courtroom briefly before speaking to legal counsel through a space in the glass and being led back into custody, reported Surrey Leader.
From the gallery, a dozen friends of victim Ravinder Bhangu watched him come and go, their faces sullen, still grief-stricken about Bhangu’s gruesome daytime murder a week ago.
Outside court, they said the 24-year-old victim had no immediate family living in Canada and that her parents, brother and possibly other family members would be traveling from India sometime next week. A funeral service has yet to be arranged.
Bhangu and Singh had been married since 2009, but had reportedly been separated since April.
On July 28 at about 11 a.m., Bhangu was stabbed to death at an office near 128 Street and 82 Avenue.
Singh, who remained at the scene following the murder and apparently yelled at the office staff to call the police, was arrested at the scene and is charged with first-degree murder in relation to Bhangu’s death. He also faces two other assault charges pertaining to injuries suffered by a man who attempted to intervene in the attack on Bhangu.
Singh’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 26.
Meanwhile, the victim’s parents have alleged that Manmeet Bhangu was demanding dowry and including a share from their agricultural land, but when they did not fulfill their demand, they first threw the daughter out of their house and finally killed her.
“We did not expect that our failure in fulfilling their dowry demand will cost our daughter her life. Her killer Sunny Bhangu and his parents should be sentenced to death,” Ravinder’s father told the media in Punjab
“We have not received any formal information about the timing of arrival of body of my daughter. We request Union government for help to bring the body at the earliest,” the father said.
About 250 people attended a vigil for Ravinder Bhangu next to the new Sikh temple at 8321 140 St. Wednesday night to remember Bhangu. Many also took the opportunity to call for an end to domestic violence in the community.
Surrey City councillor, who has been heading a campaign to bring awareness to domestic abuse in the Indo-Canadian community and has been also criticized for using the issue during an election year to win sympathy from voters, was particularly riled by a local Punjabi radio station which went to air after the killing saying women have too many rights in this country and that somehow Bhangu had it coming.
“I received so many phone calls, the City of Surrey received so many phone calls,” Rasode told the Leader newspaper that the public was furious about that kind of coverage.
Rasode has asked the Crime Reduction Strategy manager to collect resources for people in need and place them prominently on the city’s website.
Here are a few of the agencies to contact if you, a friend or loved one is experiencing domestic violence:
• Domestic Violence Help Line VictimLINK BC (free and confidential) 1-800-563-0808
• Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868
• Surrey Women’s Centre 604-583-1295
• Surrey RCMP Victim Service Unit 604-599-7600
• South Fraser Women’s Services 604-536-9611
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