Rajvinder Kaur Gill

Last updated
Rajvinder Kaur Gill
Born1971 (1971)
Punjab, India
DiedAugust 31, 2012(2012-08-31) (aged 40)
Sheikhupura, Lahore, Pakistan
Nationality Canadian
Occupation banker
Known formysterious disappearance

Rajvinder Kaur Gill was a Canadian banker who disappeared on a trip to Pakistan in August 2012. [1] [2] [3] [4] According to the Pakistani newspaper The Nation , Gill possessed over $5 million USD at the time of her disappearance. [5]

Contents

Biography

Newspapers from Pakistan identify Gill as a member of the Sikh religion. [1] [6] According to Gill's family, she was an immigrant to Canada. [1] [7]

Gill had worked for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce until 2006, when she moved to Switzerland and worked for merchant bank firms Merrill Lynch, UBS and EFG Bank. [4] Gill was reported to have resigned her job shortly before her final trip. [1]

Travel to Pakistan

Gill applied for a visa to Pakistan from Dubai on August 12, 2012. [8] She flew into Lahore on August 25, 2012. [9]

There are different theories about why Gill had gone to Pakistan, including to settle a long-standing debt, [6] attend a conference, [10] meet with a romantic interest, [1] and look for and purchase precious gemstones. [11] According to her sister, Gill had been participating on an online dating service, called Shaadi.com, and the real purpose of her trip was to meet one or more of her online romantic interests for the first time. [9] [10]

Disappearance

Gill's family reported that they had received text messages from Gill when she arrived in Pakistan and on August 26 and 27. They provided her cell phone records to the authorities demonstrating that the last message she sent was to the Pakistani television personality she had met through an online dating site. [5]

However, several reports of the confession of one of the suspects in her murders have him describing picking Gill up at Lahore's airport, and driving her directly to the kill-site on August 25. [9]

Tribune India reported she disappeared on August 31, after staying in three separate hotels and after meeting with "some unidentified people". [12]

Murder investigation

Gill's family reported her disappearance to Canadian officials, and they did their best to report her disappearance to Pakistani officials. [1] Eventually, her father traveled to Pakistan so that he could make sure a satisfactory inquiry was conducted. According to the Express Tribune , Assistant Advocate General Arib Yaqoob filed a report with magistrates on December 6, 2012, which said that Gill was still not officially considered "missing". [9] [13]

On November 17, 2012, the Tribune India reported that Pakistan was going to initiate an inquiry after Gill's father Sikandar Singh requested help from Indian Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, a distant relative. [14] On November 29, 2012, Tribune India quoted a police official to the effect that "the possibility of Rajvinder being in the custody of intelligence agencies could not be ruled out." [12]

There were two primary suspects: Hafiz Shahzad Hussain and Shahid Ghazanfar. [1]

Hafiz Shahzad Hussain

Hafiz was apprehended and interrogated by Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau, and was reported to have given an account of her murder. According to the Pakistani officials, in that confession his cousin Shahid owed Gill a large sum of money, and offered to pay him for help killing her. He confessed they lured her on a car trip to view gems, where Shahid first covertly served Gill tea laced with a sedative, so she wouldn't struggle, and then strangled her. He confessed to helping dump her body in a rural canal. [15]

Hafiz had Gill's laptop when he was apprehended. [16]

In 2017, a Pakistani court acquitted Hafiz Shahzad, accused of killing her, due to lack of evidence against him. [17] [7]

Shahid Ghazanfar

Shahid, the naturalized German citizen, was reported to have escaped to Germany. [18]

On January 7, 2013, the Lahore High Court directed Pakistani police to call upon Interpol to seek out and arrest Shahid. [6] [18] The High Court directed Pakistani police to request Canada and Switzerland to freeze Gill's bank accounts.

The police confirmed that one of Shahid's aliases was Karishna Roy. [18] As of March 1, 2013, Krishna Rio alias Shahid Ghaznafar is in German Police custody, and German police have taken over lead investigation on the case. Their team is going to Pakistan for further investigation.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalistan movement</span> Sikh separatist movement in the Punjab region

The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno‐religious sovereign state called Khalistan in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab, while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as the capital of Khalistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranjit Singh</span> First Maharaja of the Sikh Empire (1780–1839)

Ranjit Singh, popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye. He fought his first battle alongside his father at age 10. After his father died around Ranjit's early teenage years, Ranjit subsequently fought several wars to expel the Afghans throughout his teenage years. At the age of 21, he was proclaimed the "Maharaja of Punjab". His empire grew in the Punjab region under his leadership through 1839.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amrita Pritam</span> Indian writer

Amrita Pritam was an Indian novelist, essayist and poet, who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi. A prominent figure in Punjabi literature, she is the recipient of the 1956 Sahitya Akademi Award. Her body of work comprised over 100 books of poetry, fiction, biographies, essays, a collection of Punjabi folk songs and an autobiography that were all translated into several Indian and foreign languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chand Kaur</span> Malika Muqaddasa of the Sikh Empire from 1840–1841

Chand Kaur was fourth ruler of the Sikh Empire, proclaimed as Malika Muqaddisa on 2 December 1840. She was born to Sardar Jaimal Singh of the Kanhaiya Misl. In 1812, she was married to Crown Prince Kharak Singh, son and heir apparent of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Datar Kaur. In 1821 she gave birth to their only son Nau Nihal Singh, who became second in line of succession to the throne of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jind Kaur</span> 2nd Maharani of the Sikh Empire

Maharani Jind Kaur was regent of the Sikh Empire from 1843 until 29 March 1847. After the Sikh Empire was dissolved on 29 March 1847 the Sikhs claimed her as the Maharani and successor of Maharaja Duleep Singh. However, on the same day the British took full control and refused to accept the claims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaswant Singh Khalra</span> Sikh human rights activist (1952–1995)

Jaswant Singh Khalra (1952–1995) was a prominent Sikh human rights activist.

Sarabjit Singh Attwal was an Indian national convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court. He was tried and convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for a series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 bystanders in 1990. However, according to India, Sarabjit was a farmer who strayed into Pakistan from his village located on the border, three months after the bombings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharak Singh</span> Second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire from 1839–1839

Kharak Singh was the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur. He succeeded his father on 27 June 1839 and reigned until his dethronement and imprisonment on 8 October 1839. He was succeeded by his only son Nau Nihal Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheed Ganj Mosque</span> Mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Shaheed Ganj Mosque, originally named the Abdullah Khan Mosque, was a mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The Mosque was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and built by Abdullah Khan construction was completed in 1753 during the reign of Ahmad Shah Bahadur. It was constructed next to the shrine of Pir Shah Kaku. Sikh rule began in 1762, the Gurdwara Bhai Taru Singh was built afterwards within the same grounds. The mosque site was under dispute during British rule, but was demolished by Sikhs on the night of 8 July 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulab Kaur</span> Indian freedom fighter

Gulab Kaur was an Indian freedom fighter. She was born around 1890 and died in 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkash Singh Badal</span> Indian politician (1927–2023)

Parkash Singh Badal was an Indian politician and Sikh rights advocate who served as the 8th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017, the longest serving Chief Minister of Punjab till date. He was also Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1977, 1980 to 1983 and from 2002 to 2007 and the 11th Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in the Morarji Desai ministry from 1977 to 1977. He was the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional political party, and the president of the party from 1995 to 2008, when he was replaced by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. As the patron of SAD he exercised a strong influence on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The Janata Party was essentially his brainchild against the Indian National Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhbir Singh Badal</span> Indian politician

Sukhbir Singh Badal is an Indian politician and businessman who served twice as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and is currently the president of Shiromani Akali Dal, along with being a member of Parliament from the Firozpur Lok Sabha constituency. He is the son of Parkash Singh Badal, who has served five times as the Chief Minister of Punjab. He holds lots of power over the Sikh organizations of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. A businessman at heart, Badal and his family have ownership stakes in an array of businesses- including real estate, transport and other activities.

The 2015 Guru Granth Sahib desecration refers to a series of desecration incidents of the Sikh Guru Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent protests that took place in Punjab, India in October 2015, although it is known as the 2015 Guru Granth Sahib desecration it started from 2014 and continues till 2021. The first incident of desecration was reported from Bargari, Faridkot district, where 110 torn Angs of the holy Book were found on 12 October. On the early morning hours of 14 October, two Sikhs were peacefully protesting and were shot dead by the police as the protesters were sitting in demonstration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Samia Shahid</span> Suspected honour killing in Punjab, Pakistan

On 20 July 2016, Samia Shahid, a 28-year-old British Pakistani woman, was found dead in Punjab, Pakistan. Although involved in a dispute with her family, she had travelled to Pakistan alone as she had been told that her father was critically ill. Relatives claimed that she had died of natural causes, whereas her husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazim, believed that she had been murdered in a so-called "honour killing"; an autopsy and forensic examination concluded that she had been raped and strangled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhs for Justice</span> US-based Sikh separatist group

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a US-based secessionist group that supports the formation of Khalistan. Founded and primarily headed by lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2009, the organization was created in response to the lack of litigation to convict the murders and massacres of Sikhs after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Surjit Athwal</span> Honour killing of a British Indian woman in India

Surjit Kaur Athwal was a British-Indian woman murdered in an honour killing in India. She was 27 years old at the time of her death, and had two children, aged 7 and 9 months.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ravinder Kaur Gill was allegedly strangled to death in Pakistan, body has yet to be recovered: Gill was a distant relative of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal". Asian Journal. 2013-01-07. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10. He quoted Sikander as saying that his daughter had fallen in love with a man on the Internet who had introduced himself as Krishna from Lahore. Bhatti said Singh had told him that his daughter went to Lahore to meet Krishna. It was not clear whether Krishna "was an imposter or not".
  2. ↑ "Missing Canadian businesswoman allegedly drugged, strangled to death in Pakistan over financial dispute: reports". National Post. 2013-01-02. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Since Ms. Gill's disappearance more than five months ago, her father Sikander Singh Gill has been lobbying Pakistani officials to widen their investigation in the case. In an emotional Facebook message posted on Dec. 21, Sikander Singh Gill pleaded for the public's help in finding his daughter.
  3. ↑ "Missing Indian-Cdn murdered in Pakistan: Reports". Canoe.com. 2013-01-02. Archived from the original on 2013-04-07. Police were ordered to provide court with an update into their investigation after Gill's father, Sikandar Singh Gill, appealed to authorities, reports the Indian Express.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. 1 2 Cheryl Chan (2013-01-02). "CRIME: Missing B.C. banker, 41, murdered in Pakistan over money dispute, says lawyer". Vancouver: The Province. Archived from the original on 2013-04-12. A desperate five-month search for a missing Canadian woman has ended in tragedy for her family in B.C.
  5. 1 2 Mian Dawood (2013-01-01). "LHC orders CCPO to appear tomorrow". Lahore: The Nation (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 2013-01-08. A family member of Rajvindar, who has also reached Pakistan in search of her, says she has 5 million US dollars in her Switzerland's bank and was keen on collecting diamonds and precious stones as well.
  6. 1 2 3 "LHC orders investigation into Sikh woman's murder". Lahore: The News International. 2013-01-03. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. He added Ghazanfer was on the run and had reached Germany and police had initiated the process of his arrest through Interpol. The CCPO's reply said that according to the initial interrogation of accused, Ghazanfar had called the Sikh woman to Pakistan as there was some monetary dispute between both.
  7. 1 2 "Pakistani court acquits man of Indian-Canadian woman's murder". The Indian Express. 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  8. ↑ Sindhu Manjesh (2013-01-01). "Woman of Indian origin missing in Pakistan; Lahore High Court summons police chief". Lahore: NDTV. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. The father of a Canadian woman of Indian origin, who has been missing in Pakistan for nearly five months, appeared before the Lahore High Court on Monday, as he continued his attempts to trace his daughter, Rajvinder Kaur Gill. The court, hearing his plea, has directed the Lahore police chief to appear before it on Wednesday and step up efforts to trace Ms Gill.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian woman Rajvindar Kaur Gill, who went missing in Pakistan in August, murdered". Lahore: News East West. 2013-01-02. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Rajvindar Kaur Gill, 41, who was a businesswoman from British Columbia dealing in gems, came to Pakistan on August 25 last year and went missing the same day.
  10. 1 2 "Pak looks for Sukhbir's missing relative in Lahore". Lahore: Hindustan Times. 2012-11-17. Archived from the original on 2012-11-18. Rajvinder Kaur Gill, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, went missing shortly after she arrived in Lahore last August to attend a conference. Her father, Sikandar Singh, wrote a letter to Badal, seeking the Deputy chief minister's help in finding his daughter.
  11. ↑ "Murder of Canadian woman : LHC orders police to arrest main accused". Lahore: Daily Times. 2013-01-08. Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. The judge disposed of the petition after DSP Khalid Abu Bakar said that police had lodged the murder case and recovered a laptop of the deceased woman from Shahzad. He said family of the deceased has also identified her laptop and police would scan record in it.
  12. 1 2 "Sukhbir's missing relative: Spy agencies' hand suspected". Lahore: Tribune India. 2012-11-29. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. The police recommended to the provincial government that a joint investigation team should be set up for a further probe. However, a police source said the possibility of Rajvinder being in the custody of intelligence agencies could not be ruled out.
  13. ↑ Rana Tanveer (2013-01-01). "Missing Canadian: Rajvinder Kaur contacted Malik, Warraich before reaching Pakistan". Lahore: Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-02-07. Justice Sheikh Najamul Hassan issued the order after going through a report filed by the CCPO through Assistant Advocate General Arif Yaqoob. The report stated that on December 6, he was informed about the missing woman. He said the city police had no information about Kaur's whereabouts and that she was not wanted in any case. The judge said he was shocked that despite the matter being in the notice of the chief minister, there had been no progress on it.
  14. ↑ "Pakistan looking for Badal family's missing relative". Lahore: Tribune India. 2012-11-17. Pakistan has launched an investigation to trace a distant female relative of Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister of Indian Punjab, who has been missing in Lahore for the past two-and-half months.
  15. ↑ Cheryl Chan (2013-01-03). "Man admits to killing Canadian: Dad of victim 'went into shock' upon hearing of daughter's brutal murder". The Province. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. According to local media, Hafiz Shahzad Hussain had confessed to killing Gill with his cousin Shahid Ghazanfar, a German national. Hussain told police his cousin owed Gill money and that he invited her to Lahore to attend a diamond auction.
  16. ↑ "Pakistani authorities seek Interpol's help to nab Canadian Sikh woman's killer". Sikh Siyasat News. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2022-04-26. A police official told the court that a laptop belonging to Rajvinder Kaur Gill had been recovered from one of the accused involved in the murder.
  17. ↑ Mall, Rattan. "Pakistani court acquits man of murder of Indo-Canadian Rajvinder Kaur Gill | Indo-Canadian Voice" . Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  18. 1 2 3 "Sikh woman murder case disposed of". Lahore: The Nation (Pakistan). 2013-01-08. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Justice Sardar Tariq Masood disposed of the petition after statement of DSP Khalid Abu Bakar saying that they had registered FIR and arrested nominated accused Hafiz Shehzad Hussain. He said they also had recovered laptop of the deceased from his custody.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.