VERNON – An Indo-Canadian man who fled to California after the murder of his wife 30 years ago in the BC town of Vernon is being extradited to Canada from US to face murder charges.
Paramjit Singh Bogarh was charged recently alongside his brother Narindar Singh Bogarh with first-degree murder in the 1986 death of Saminder Kaur Bogarh.
Paramjit was extradited from the United States to face charges of first-degree murder as well as conspiracy to commit murder.
The BC Prosecution Service continues to pursue the extradition of Paramjit’s brother, Narindar Singh Bogarh, who is believed to be in India.
Narindar is also facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Paramjit has been ordered detained and has had his matters adjourned by consent. He appeared on Thursday in Vernon Law Courts by video and his lawyer said his client will seek bail.
Appearing via video, 57-year-old Paramjit Singh Bogarh, his long white beard and traditional Sikh headwear a stark contrast to the vibrant orange apparel, sat quiet speaking only to confirm his identity before a Justice of the Peace as his matter was carried over to June 28 to fix a date.
According to court documents, Paramjit Singh spoke openly about killing her while seeking a leadership position with a religious group at a California Gurdwara.
The RCMP suspected Bogarh, who was born in 1961, and his brother at the time of Saminder’s brutal stabbing death at her home but the prosecutor was not satisfied that the burden of proof could be met and the charge was stayed, according to court documents filed in the U.S. in support of his arrest and extradition proceedings.
Eventually, with advances in DNA analysis and the development of further evidence, the Crown determined it could meet its burden of proof in the cold case murder and Bogarh was charged on Jan. 31, 2018, according to records. At the time, however, Bogarh was living in a gated community in California, reported iNFOnews.ca.
Court documents state that shortly after an unsuccessful custody hearing for his son just a few months after the murder, Bogarh moved to California. A wiretap authorized in Canada intercepted a conversation in which Bogarh allegedly stated he intended to move to the U.S. if he experienced any problems in Canada. He has not been in contact with his son since.
In the late 1990s, while seeking election on the board of directors for a religious group, Bogarh allegedly admitted to the crime.
“He was required to tell the truth in front of those witnesses because it was in the temple in the presence of his holy book. The fact of his involvement in the murder was what was preventing him being approved to be on the executive. When confessing to killing his wife in Canada, he threatened all present that he would do the same to their daughters – a threat that in the Sikh and Punjabi culture has particular significance,” the U.S. government says in court documents.
