A 23-year-old Indian woman was strangled to death in Edmonton, Alberta, in what police are investigating as an intimate partner homicide.
The accused, a 22-year-old Indian man from Delhi, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in what Canadian Police have described as an intimate partner homicide.
The deceased woman, Damanpreet Kaur, was identified as a resident of Samrala in Ludhiana district in Punjab.
Edmonton Police Service officers responded to reports of an unresponsive woman with suspicious injuries on July 9 at around 6:44 pm in the Silverberry neighbourhood.
She was taken to the hospital in a critical condition and succumbed to her injuries on July 12.
The accused man, Ritish Kumar, was arrested on July 22 and charged with second-degree murder.
The autopsy conducted by the Edmonton medical examiners determined that the woman’s death was caused by homicide and strangulation. They also said that the information was previously withheld due to ‘investigative reasons’.
The case is being treated as an intimate partner homicide. The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court.
Edmonton police also said that they are not looking for any other suspects.
A person from her neighbourhood told local news that the Kaur lived in a basement with Kumar. “She was a young girl. She came like all the other young students here with big hopes and dreams about her future. But it is sad what is happening with her,” Gulzar Singh Nirman said Wednesday.
Nirman also spoke to Kaur’s father in India and said that she was an only child and that he couldn't control his emotions.
Several neighbours remembered Kaur as friendly and said that she often said hello to those who lived on the street.
Kaur’s family members told the New Indian Express that she moved to Canada nearly five years ago after her parents reportedly took an education loan to support her education.
Jagjit Singh, a panchayat member of her village, said that Damanpreet's family was financially very weak and had used all means to send their daughter abroad.
A GoFundMe page was started for Kaur to repatriate her mortal remains. The page has collected between $18,000 and $20,000.
"The costs of international transportation, documentation, and funeral arrangements are overwhelming for the family during this heartbreaking time," the fundraiser states.
