Attempt to extradite man accused of murdering B.C. woman 33 years ago stalled in appeal

The Canadian Department of Justice is seeking to extradite a man from India to stand trial for the 1986 death of a Vernon, B.C., woman who was killed in her home, but it has become bogged down in an appeal process.

On Dec. 31, 1986, Saminder Kaur Bogarh, 26, was stabbed repeatedly in the neck and head with a knife in a vicious attack, allegedly by her brother-in-law Narinder Singh Bogarh, while her husband was away at work.

Details of the murder were heard in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna last week during a sentencing hearing for the victim's husband, Paramjit Sing Bogarh, who is also Narinder's brother.

Narinder is currently fighting Canada's attempt to extradite him from India.

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Paramjit, who was extradited from the United States in 2018 on a first degree murder charge, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of accessory to murder after the fact and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The court heard Paramjit lied to RCMP investigators shortly after the murder by telling them his son witnessed a white man attacking his wife, even though he knew Narinder was responsible and was still in the Okanagan.

Narinder fled to Vancouver and eventually back to India where he has remained.

U.S. extradition records from Paramjit's file state RCMP officers travelled to India in 1997 and 2000 to interview Narinder with the help of Indian police.

The documents say Narinder confessed to killing Saminder during those interviews and had information only the killer would know.

Bail hearing delays extradition arrest

 "In February 2018, Canada sent a request to India for the provisional arrest of Narinder Singh Bogarh, which was followed by a full extradition request in August 2019," said Meaghen McKenna with the Department of Justice Canada in an email.

"Before Mr. Bogarh could be arrested on an extradition warrant, he filed an application before the court in India for provisional bail, which was not granted.  The court, however, ordered that his extradition arrest could not occur pending the appeal of its ruling on the bail matter," Meaghen said.

Narinder has made several court appearances in relation to his bail hearing, McKenna said, adding he has another court appearance on the matter later this month.