Mountie charged with second-degree murder in wife's death

Soul_jyot · #1 (**permalink**) 12-Jul-2010, 10:00 AM

Mountie charged with second-degree murder in wife's death

By JASMINE FRANKLIN, QMI Agency
Last Updated: July 11, 2010 7:58pm

An RCMP officer is charged in the slaying of his wife.

Const. Tarith (Singh) Sehmbi, 36, was charged with second-degree murder Sunday — one day after his wife was found dead in the southeast Edmonton home they had shared with their two young sons.

The boys — around 10 and five years old — weren’t home at the time of their mother’s death. They are believed to be staying with their paternal grandparents who also live in southeast Edmonton.

"The whole community is feeling this," said Michelle Farmer, assistant manager of Millwoods Town Centre Star Bucks, where the victim, Rajpinder Kaur Sembhi, was recently employed.

Rajpinder came to Canada about 10 years ago from New Delhi, India, where all her relatives remain, according to a man who wished to stay anonymous.

The woman regularly attended a southside Sikh temple, he added.

Sources say the couple had been separated for the past few months and that her in-laws had created difficulties between the couple. The family of four lived jointly with the in-laws last year until they moved into their home in Jackson Heights.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/31379-mountie-charged-second-degree-murder-wifes.html

That home is up for sale and was listed at $429,900 just eight days before the slaying.

Rajpinder worked at a community school as a temporary teacher three years ago, sources added.

The couple had been married for more than nine years, police said.

Tarith had nearly eight years of service with the RCMP and was working out of the Stony Plain detachment.

He was off duty Saturday morning, but Tarith had his RCMP-issued handgun at home because his job required him to be on call, police said. That was in compliance with RCMP policy.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=31379

He is expected to be suspended with pay Monday. A review of the case will follow.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is leading the homicide investigation.

Neighbours said they heard anywhere from four to six gunshots around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

One neighbour recalled hearing glass break shortly after the gunshots.

Tarith remains in custody and is scheduled for his first court appearance Monday in Edmonton

source: http://www.calgarysun.com/news/canada/2010/07/11/14677741.html