An Indo-Canadian man from Surrey, Canada, was arrested after a seven-year investigation and charged on May 5 for the murder of Manbir Singh Kajla and attempted murder of Kajla’s wife. The incident took place in Surrey in 2011, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement on May 7.
Samandeep Singh Gill, 30, was arrested and charged with one count of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
The incident happened on the night of April 27, 2011, when Manbir Singh Kajla was traveling in his vehicle with his wife Pavan Sanghera Kajla. They had got married that morning. A minor collision occurred between Kajla’s vehicle and Gill’s white SUV.
The Surrey RCMP received a call that shots had been fired in the area and that the driver of a vehicle was shot after being involved in an altercation about the collision. The suspect then fled in the SUV. Kajla was found at the scene suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and died later in hospital. He was 30 years old.
“The investigation determined this was a random act of violence, as the suspect and victims were not known to each other. It has been hard on the families affected, and I want to express my sincerest condolences to the family of Manbir Kajla,” Superintendent Ward Lymburner of the RCMP Provincial Major Crimes Section said in a statement. The police are still going to look for more information regarding the case and said that the investigation is not over yet.
Superintendent Donna Richardson, Officer in Charge of Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said that the probe included gathering evidence, following leads, and deploying all the tools and resources available to ensure the individual responsible was held accountable.
The family of Kajla said that his void can be never be filled. “We have waited for seven long years for this moment and we are relieved that closure is in sight. Only we know the unimaginable grief that our family has been going through and the toll it has taken on every family member,” the family said in a statement.
Gill will now appear in court on May 14.