Sister of man charged with murdering Kiran Dhesi facing accessory charge
Murder suspect Harjot Singh Deo wore a red sweat shirt as he appeared briefly in a B.C. provincial courtroom in Surrey on Monday morning.
As Deo, 21, told the judge his name, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team was holding a news conference to announce that his sister is now the third member of the Deo family to be charged in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend Bhavkiran (Kiran) Dhesi.
Deo was charged with second degree murder earlier this month and will remain in custody at least until his next court appearance on June 6.
His mother, Manjit, 53, was charged with accessory after the fact early last week.
The same charge was laid against Deo's sister, Inderdeep, 23, over the weekend.
"In spite of the recent charges made in this case, we again want to remind everybody that the investigation remains active and is certainly not over," said Cpl. Frank Jang with IHIT.
"We are still urging those with information about Bhavkiran's case to come forward and help us shed further light on Bhavkiran's death."
Dhesi was found dead in a burned-out SUV along 24 Avenue on Aug. 2, 2017. Investigators said she'd sustained injuries consistent with homicide.
Harjot Deo's lawyer, Vincent Michaels, says it's rare to see three members of the same family charged in the same case.
"The case is an unusual scenario," he said.
Arrested at YVR
Harjot Deo was taken into custody May 13 after arriving at Vancouver International Airport from an undisclosed Canadian location.
Investigators with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said previously that Harjot Deo was known to police but according to online records, the only charges he has faced previously seem limited to a handful of traffic violations.
Dhesi wasn't known to police. Investigators said although they didn't think her killing was gang-related, it was likely targeted.
Dhesi was a student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey and had received a kidney transplant six months before her death.
Last December, police found an Audi Q7 they believed to be connected to the crime. Officers were also searching for a dark grey Dodge Ram.
Manjit Deo has a court appearance scheduled in B.C. Provincial Court in Surrey on Thursday morning.
