A 23-year-old woman from Punjab’s Ludhiana region was allegedly strangled to death at her Edmonton, Canada home. Her live-in partner, also an Indian national, has been arrested and charged with the murder, police said.
The victim has been identified as Damanpreet Kaur, a resident of Samrala in Ludhiana district. She had moved to Canada on a student visa nearly five years ago.
According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), officers were called to a residence in the Silverberry neighbourhood of southeast Edmonton on July 9 after receiving information about an unresponsive woman with suspicious injuries.
Emergency responders rushed Kaur to a hospital, where she later died on July 12.
An autopsy performed on July 14 revealed that Kaur died of strangulation. The death was ruled a homicide by the medical examination, police said.
Ritish Kumar was arrested in a police investigation on July 22. He was charged with second-degree murder.
Police said the case was now being investigated as an intimate partner homicide and no other suspects are currently being sought.
Kaur’s family members told The New Indian Express that she had travelled to Canada nearly five years ago to pursue her education and build a future abroad. Her parents had taken a loan to support her studies and plans to settle in Canada.
The case also has led to efforts to bring Kaur’s body back to India. A GoFundMe campaign to get her remains back home has raised more than $18,000, nearing its $20,000 target.
The investigation remains ongoing and officials are still looking into the circumstances of Kaur's death. Kumar’s arrest and charges are only allegations and the accused is entitled to due process under Canadian law.
The case has left Kaur’s family and community grieving in Punjab, while efforts continue to bring her body back to India for the last rites.
