A Santa Rosa man stabbed his sister-in-law in the back with a kitchen knife and continued to attack her in and outside their home, even after the knife’s handle broke off, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday, Feb. 3.
The violent detail was presented during opening statements in the trial of Varinder Singh. He’s charged with murder in the death of Kuljeet Kaur, who prosecutors say was stabbed 37 times before she died outside their Santa Rosa home on April 25, 2022.
“As she lay there motionless and defenseless, the defendant continued to stab her,” Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Jessalee Mills told jurors.
Arguments in Judge Kenneth Gnoss’ courtroom are being presented to a jury of eight men and eight women, including alternates. On Tuesday, they were told the killing was spurred by a fractured relationship between Singh and his wife of three months, identified only as SK.
Prosecutors and Singh’s defense attorney, however, differed on who was at fault.
Mills said Singh, a long-haul truck driver, was controlling and demanded SK join him on his trips. One week prior to the killing, Mills said, the couple was in New Jersey and Singh threatened to attack SK with a hammer after she told him not to drive at night.
His public defender, Joe Bisbiglia, countered SK’s family pushed Singh into marrying her out of concern a previous divorce would make it hard for her to find a new husband. He reluctantly relocated from the Sacramento area to Santa Rosa, at some point tried to kill himself and was burdened by the family’s financial demands.
“This just added to the misery of my client,” Bisbiglia said.
Disputes came to a head on April 25 when Singh overheard Kaur, his sister-in-law, telling SK not to travel with her husband after learning about the threat involving a hammer. Mills said Singh was enraged that Kaur would interfere in his relationship with SK and attacked her with an 8-inch knife.
The confrontation escalated, moving from inside the home out into the street, where neighbors witnessed part of the attack. One of them testified Tuesday he heard screams before finding “a very bloody” Kaur.
According to Mills, Kaur was stabbed 12 times in her torso and the knife hit her lungs, aorta and intestines. She also had 22 stabs to her hands and arms, making it evidence she tried to defend herself.
Responding officers found a bloody scene in and around the home, with surveillance footage and witness statements confirming that Kaur tried to defend herself, officials said. Singh fled in a BMW sedan but was apprehended about 45 minutes later near a Raley’s supermarket in Rohnert Park.
Mills told jurors Singh was found with hand injuries, including severed tendons in his fingers and deep lacerations in his hand.
Singh pleaded not guilty to charges and attended a preliminary hearing in June 2023. Court proceedings stalled in April 2024 when Singh’s prior attorney questioned his mental competency. The matter was resolved Oct. 25 when he was ruled fit to stand trial.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com.
The Mercury News
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