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.
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Cong claims TVK chief Vijay has sought its support for govt formation in Tamil Nadu
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday claimed that TVK chief Vijay has sought its support for government formation in Tamil Nadu and its leadership has directed the state unit to take a final decision on the matter, keeping in view the state's sentiments.
The party, which fought the assembly election in alliance with the DMK, asserted that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government and that it is determined "not to have the BJP and its proxies run the government of Tamil Nadu in any manner".
Top Congress leaders held a meeting at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Tuesday evening that was attended by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, among others.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal said the Congress leadership discussed the post-election scenario in Tamil Nadu.
"TVK President Thiru Vijay has requested the Indian National Congress for support to form a Government in Tamil Nadu. He has spoken about drawing inspiration from Perumthalaivar Kamaraj as well, in his political mission.
"The INC is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government that is committed to protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit. The INC is determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the Government of Tamil Nadu in any manner," he said.
"Accordingly, the Congress leadership has directed the TNCC to take a final decision on Thiru Vijay's request, keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict," Venugopal told reporters.
Vijay's TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the halfway mark. He needs the support of 10 MLAs to form a government with a simple majority. The results were declared only on Monday.
The Congress has won five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has bagged four seats. The CPI and CPI-M have two seats each.
On the other hand, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has won 59 seats while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won 47 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won only one seat and so have the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), while the VCK has won two seats.
The Congress had fought the assembly polls in a pre-poll alliance with the DMK, while the BJP had a tie-up with the AIADMK.
