VANCOUVER – A timeline of the events surrounding the June 2000 murder in India of Jassi Sidhu, of Maple Ridge, B.C., the alleged victim of a so-called “honour killing” that a court heard was ordered by her own family:
August 4, 1975: Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu is born
December 1994: Jaswinder Sidhu travels to India with her family and falls in love with Sukhwinder (Mithu) Singh Sidhu, a poor rickshaw driver. In the coming years, they write letters and stay in touch.
March 15, 1999: Jassi travels to India and secretly marries Mithu.
April 19, 1999: Jassi registers the marriage in India.
1999-2000: Jassi’s uncle begins arranging her marriage to a wealthy 60-year-old businessman.
June 1999: Jassi quits her job at a Port Coquitlam beauty salon. Her family collects her belongings, which includes her marriage certificate, love letters and photos.
June 1999: Jassi misses several days of work, returning with bruises. She tells co-workers her clandestine love has been discovered.
February 2000: Mithu is kidnapped, threatened and beaten in India.
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February 10, 2000: Jassi signs a notarized statement saying she was coerced into marriage.
March 9, 2000: Her uncle, Surjit Singh Badesha, makes a complaint to police in Jagraon, India, that Jassi was forced to marry. He provides the notarized statement.
April 6, 2000: Jassi walks into the Maple Ridge, B.C., RCMP detachment to report threats and assault by her family over her illicit marriage. She tells police her uncle has gone to India and she fears for her husband’s life. She leaves with the number for the Indian consulate.
April 2000: RCMP escort Jassi to her home to pick up her belongings. She stays with a friend from her work at a salon.
May 12, 2000: Jassi flies to India.
May 13, 2000: Jassi makes a statement to police in India that Mithu did not coerce her into marriage, that her uncle made a false allegation.
May 15, 2000: She testifies in an Indian court that her uncle’s allegation against Mithu is false.
June 8, 2000: According to Mithu’s later testimony, Malkit Sidhu calls him and tells him she will make him disappear and eliminate his whole family over the marriage.
June 8, 2000: Jassi and Mithu are attacked by a group of armed men as they ride their scooter. Mithu is beaten and Jassi forced into a car and driven away.
June 9, 2000: Jassi’s body is found in a canal. Her throat has been cut. Indian police allege her mother gave the final order for her death in a telephone call from Canada.
August 2004: Mithu is arrested and jailed, accused of rape. He is acquitted at trial following four years of incarceration.
2005 – Indian authorities lay charges in connection to Jassi’s death and make their first extradition request to Canada.
October 2005: Seven men are convicted in Jassi’s death. Indian police allege they were paid by Badesha and Malkit to carry out the killing.
February 2008: An Indian court acquits three of the seven men on appeal and upholds the convictions of four men in Jassi’s murder.
January 5, 2012: Arrest warrants are issued in Canada under the Extradition Act against for Jassi’s mother, Malkit Kaur Sidhu and her uncle, Surjit Singh Badesha.
January 6, 2012: Malkit Sidhu and Badesha are arrested. They have remained in custody since.
May 9, 2014: B.C. Supreme Court judge orders the extradition to India of Malkit Sidhu and Badesha.
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