British-Sikh couple killed by son in 2020 could have been saved: Report
Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 Feb, 2023 11:52 AM
London, Feb 3 (IANS) A Sikh couple murdered by their "knife-obsessed" son in the UK in 2020 could have been saved if the agencies involved with the family before the crime had rightfully addressed their concerns, a homicide review report said.
Anmol Chana, then 25, stabbed his mother Jasbir Kaur, 52, and step father Rupinder Bassan, 51, more than 20 times at their home in Oldbury, West Midlands, in February 2020.
He was sentenced to life in prison at the Birmingham Crown Court, with a minimum of 36 years in jail.
The report, published this month by the Safer Sandwell Partnership, revealed how Chana had been a "constant threat" to his mother and had made a number of "threats to kill", the Birmingham Live reported.
The family had been "seeking support" and "felt in danger" but their concerns "went unaddressed".
Jasbir Kaur was accused of poor parenting and "labelled weak" despite making several cries for help about her violent and dangerous son.
The report said: "The review recognised significant victim blaming by professionals in their response. Far from being 'weak' (a term used repeatedly to describe her parenting) she had shown incredible strength."
It further said that Chana was "obsessed" with weapons and had warned he would kill his mother.
From an early age, he was potentially twisted and dangerous, and talked about his "interest in death, hurting people or animals", the report noted.
He been known to social services, GPs and mental health teams since childhood over his weird and violent behaviour.
"It is clear from the report that, over many years of agencies' involvement with the perpetrator, more could have been done to address his violent behaviour and poor mental health, while also providing better support to his mother and sister who lived with ongoing fear and anxiety about what he would do next," Chief Superintendent Maria Fox, chair of the Safer Sandwell Partnership, was quoted as saying in Birmingham Live.
After killing his parents, Chana stole money from the house and bought a ticket to flee the country, but was nabbed by the police.
He had claimed before the Birmingham Crown Court that he killed his parents in self-defence but his story was dismissed as "fantasy" by the prosecutors, and jurors concluded he was lying.
Manish Shah, 53, has been found guilty of 25 sexual assaults against four women at his GP clinic in Romford, east London, the BBC reported. After the latest verdict, Shah is now convicted of 115 offences of sexual assault and assault by penetration against 28 women, aged between 15 and 34.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial on Wednesday, Atlanta-based Minal Patel, 44, owned LabSolutions LLC -- a lab enrolled with Medicare that performed sophisticated genetic tests.
While 11 out of her 12 white colleagues were reappointed after their contracts ended, Sharma, hired as a senior lecturer in 2016, was not given her job back. The tribunal ruled that Sharma was the victim of subconscious discrimination and described the selection process as being "tainted by race discrimination"
Justice Sally Fitzgerald set a trial date down for five weeks in May 2024. Of the three, a 34-year-old man has been charged with Patel's murder, as well as aggravated robbery. The other two -- Henry Fred and Shane Henry Tane -- have been accused of robbery.
The FWO investigated after receiving a request for assistance from the Indian worker and issued compliance notice to Bhangu Pty Ltd. in September 2021. Thereafter, it secured a $30,000 penalty in court against the operator of the vehicle repair and maintenance business in Brisbane.
During raids at the couple's North London home twice in 2020, police found messages referring to 100 kg packages, cocaine parcels, evidence of drug exchanges, and a conversation about a possible gun deal. Cops also found drugs in a Louis Vuitton box under the couple's bed, as well as 27,000 pounds in cash at his home, apart from cannabis cultivation at the property.
