Maple Batalia’s Funeral To Take Place Today (Saturday) At 11 AM – Public Open To Attend!
Police have yet to make an arrest in the Batalia murder, but the spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team tweeted last week that the person who turned themselves in for the assault is not a suspect.
SURREY – The former boyfriend of murdered Indo-Canadian teen Maple Batalia was all over the news and for all the wrong reasons.
On Friday, it was confirmed that , Gurjinder (Gary) Dhaliwal has been charged with assaulting Batalia and a male teen a few days before she was murdered at the parking lot of the Surrey Simon Fraser University campus.
Batalia, a 19-year-old aspiring actress and model, was gunned down on Sept. 28 at the Central City parkade near the university. She had been studying with her friends at the library beforehand.
Dhaliwal turned himself in on Monday to face charges for allegedly assaulting two people at Tim Hortons at 96 Avenue and King George Boulevard on Sept. 24.
One of those allegedly attacked was Batalia, who changed her Facebook status to “single” the following day. The other person, a 19-year-old male, cannot be identified by a court order.
Dhaliwal is due back in court on the assault charges on Oct. 17.
CTV News reported that two vehicles were towed from Dhaliwal’s residence Wednesday, the same day he was arrested and then released after administrators at Fleetwood Park Secondary received a threatening phone call.
Because of who was making the threat, police say the school felt it was necessary to call police and put the school in lockdown mode.
Police told the media that the suspect is known to police and is an ex-student of the school.
They would not get into specifics about the perceived threat, but said it was a phone call to administration and it had nothing to do with firearms or explosives.
Police said the suspect was easy to find, because he identified himself in the call. He was released without charges on Wednesday afternoon.
Police have yet to make an arrest in the Batalia murder, but the spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) tweeted last week that the person who turned themselves in for the assault is not a suspect.
Police have 50 officers working on the Batalia case.
IHIT has no suspects at this point and still can’t say whether the shooting was targeted or random.
A service will be held for Batalia this weekend in Delta. She will be memorialized Saturday at 11 a.m. at Riverside Funeral Home and Crematorium, 7410 Hopcott Rd. in Delta. The public is welcome to attend the service.
Last Friday, more than 500 people, including her family, Indo-Canadian community members, friends and fellow students, attended a candlelight memorial for Batalia at Holland Park on Friday night.
The large group placed candles and flowers around a table covered with photos of Batalia, with many people standing in line for more than an hour to pay their respects to the to the 19-year-old Simon Fraser University student.
Batalia’s father, Harkirat Batalia, talked about her at the vigil on Friday.
“This wonderful child, a jewel of mine, has been snatched away forever,” said Harkirat, who called his daughter his little Tweetie Bird.
“My charming little sweet child, I’ll miss you. May God take you in heaven and keep you there… and please God help me in this moment.”
Batalia’s mother expressed similar depth of despair earlier in the day.
“My life is finished,” Sarabjit Batalia told The Leader before the vigil Friday. “What is my life without her? She was the star in our life and our whole family.”
A memorial site for Batalia has been started on Facebook, with more than 12,000 followers.
