California Sikh family killings: Suspect pleads not guilty; family funeral being held on Saturday
San Francisco (US) (PTI): The man accused of kidnapping and then killing the eight-month-old baby and her family earlier this month on Thursday pleaded not guilty.
Jesus Salgado allegedly kidnapped eight-month-old Aroohi, her parents, and her uncle at gunpoint from their trucking business on October 3.
According to authorities, Salgado, a former employee with a longstanding dispute, likely killed them within an hour of kidnapping the family.
The 48-year-old accused entered his not-guilty plea on Thursday morning, KFSN TV reported, adding that the accused is scheduled to return to court next month and remains in jail on no bail.
Douglas Foster, Salgado's court-appointed attorney, declined to comment.
The victims' bodies were found two days after the kidnapping in a remote area.
A farm worker in an almond orchard in the San Joaquin Valley, California's agricultural heartland, discovered the remains of Aroohi Dheri; her 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur; her 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh; and her 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh.
Salgado is charged with four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances.
The authorities allege that the slayings took place during the commission of a kidnapping and were part of multiple killings in the same case.
Salgado is also charged with arson and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The investigation into the disappearance of the family began on October 3 after police found Amandeep's truck on fire in the town of Winton.
When the family members could not locate Amandeep or his brother and sister-in-law, or the couple's baby, they reported the family as missing.
The search led investigators with the Merced County Sheriff's Office to the family business, Unison Trucking, where video surveillance showed a suspect abducting the family at gunpoint and leading them away in the truck.
Salgado, who was arrested on October 6, attempted suicide last Tuesday as investigators zeroed in on him as a suspect in the case, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. He was held in the hospital for two days and was then booked into jail.
Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke has called for Salgado to face the death penalty.
However, District Attorney Kimberly Lewis on Monday said she would defer that decision to next year.
Salgado's younger brother Alberto Salgado, 41, is in custody on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence.
Meanwhile, Aroohi's relatives announced that the family will be laid to rest on Saturday in Turlock.
The funeral will be closed to the public but anyone who would like to support the family can gather outside the venue.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
