'It doesn't feel like justice is served': Outrage as Surrey, B.C., wife killer gets day parole
Advocates for victims of domestic violence are outraged a Surrey, B.C., man who killed his pregnant wife 16 years ago has been granted day parole.
Days after he strangled Manjit Panghali in their Cloverdale home in October 2006 and burned her body, Mukhtiar Panghali made a tearful public plea for his missing wife’s safe return.
Dr. Satwinder Bains, the director of the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, called the display disgusting.
“So much disingenuity from this man who was a partner of the woman who he killed, and for him to claim to be looking for her body knowing full well what he had done,” said Bains.
Ninu Kang with Ending Violence Association of B.C. remembers identifying with Manjit Panghali, who had a four-year-old daughter.
“I’m a South Asian woman myself, and back in the day I could identify with her and could identify being a professional woman. She was a teacher, she was pregnant with her second child, and her life was cut short, only just to find out it was her husband who killed her,” said Kang.
She also clearly recalls Mukhtiar Panghali crying at a news conference about Manjit’s sudden disappearance.
“Crocodile tears and the denial of the act, the brutal acts that he had committed, is unfortunately very consistent with men not taking responsibility of causing intimate partner violate,” said Kang.
Panghali was convicted of second-degree murder in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 15 years. But because of time already served, he became eligible for day parole after only 11 years, and his application was granted last week.
While she recognizes day parole is the next step to integrate the now-50-year-old Panghali back into society, Kang said “It still doesn’t feel fair. It doesn’t feel like justice is served.”
“As families who are confronting issues of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, it’s just one more example of how we can’t have faith in the system," said Bains.
Both advocates are concerned Panghali is not genuine in having changed his mindset about women. In parole documents, he admitted he’d thought about killing his wife for years because she didn’t appreciate him, and said he regretted the “regressive and rather archaic attitudes and beliefs about marriage and intimate relationships.”
“I hope that he has made those changes, because the system will free him," said Bains. "We have to hope he has made some change in his life and no one else falls victim to his ideas."
Kang says Panghali’s actions will matter more than his words.
“He has killed his wife. For me, the test is what is he planning on doing with regards to other hurts and harms he has caused to her family members, and her child, and to the community,” she said.
Panghali has to abide by several conditions while on day parole, including staying away from his victim’s family. That includes his daughter, who was four years old when he killed her mother.
Kang is concerned Manjit’s family could still run into him.
“I think about how that’s going to re-traumatize them,” she said. “ My heart is going out to her daughter and her sister and the extended family, and I send prayers to them and hope they have supports in place.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.