Singh had allegedly used a hammer
US Indian man Amarjit Singh, aged 64, continues to undergo legal proceedings as he is the prime accused in the murder of his “disrespectful” daughter-in-law.
Singh, Surjit Kaur, aged 69, and Megh Singh Chouhan, aged 29, appeared at a California court on October 7, 2019. They are to return to Solano County Superior Court next week.
Crime investigators believe Singh used a hammer to bludgeon his daughter-in-law to death on March 7, 2017.
Singh was indicted in late June 2019 by a grand jury and arraigned for the second time. He had entered a not guilty plea to a new charge brought under the indictment.
At the same time, Judge John B Ellis delayed arraignment for Kaur and Chouhan, however, court records indicate their cases are on the same track as Singh’s.
Singh’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Max Fuentes explained that the original murder charge was dismissed so his client would not be charged with the same offence in two separate cases.
He pointed out that the filed charge in June was based on the same evidence.
Suisun City attorney Leslie Prince represents Kaur while Chouhan is represented by Alternate Public Defender Sean Swartz.
Singh had allegedly used a hammer to murder 29-year-old Shameena Bibi. He was arrested on the same day.
Shameena was found dead at her home on Blue Bill Way, Suisun City, where she lived with her husband, in-laws and son.
She had reportedly just finished a conversation with Singh that was about her son and had gone into the garage.
Singh later entered and at some point became enraged, hitting Shameena numerous times in the head with a hammer, killing her.
The investigation was a joint operation by the Suisun City Police Department and the FBI. Solano County Deputy District Attorney Bill Ainsworth leads the prosecution.
Investigators interviewed the US Indian man for over two hours with the help of a Punjabi translator.
According to police records, Singh confessed to killing Shameena.
However, at a later hearing, Mr Fuentes was successful in suppressing the confession. It cannot be used at trial and Judge Ellis ruled that it is binding upon the new case.
Singh and Kaur were charged with first-degree murder and Chouhan was charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Singh and Kaur remain in Solano County Jail after they were each set a $2 million bail bond. Chouhan was bailed out of custody.
If found guilty of first-degree murder, Singh and Kaur face 25 years to life in state prison. Chouhan could face at least one year in county jail.
On October 18, 2019, Singh will appear in court for a readiness conference, trial setting and a motion to dismiss the first-degree murder charge.
Kaur and Chouhan return for a readiness conference and trial setting. East Bay Times reported that they will also return on December 13, 2019, for the same proceedings and also for a motion to dismiss the charges against them.
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