Indian nursing student in Australia buried alive by boyfriend in horrific 'act of vengeance'
Melbourne, Jul 6: In a horrific act of vengeance, a 21-year-old Indian nursing student in Australia was abducted by her jilted ex-boyfriend from India, driven nearly 650 km and buried alive in South Australia state's remote Flinders Ranges, a court has heard.
Jasmeen Kaur from Adelaide City was killed by Tarikjot Singh in March 2021, a month after reporting him to the police for stalking.
Kaur was abducted from her workplace on March 5, 2021, and driven more than 400 miles (644 km) while bound with cable ties in the boot of a car Singh had borrowed from his flatmate, news.com.au portal and other websites reported on Wednesday.
He buried Kaur in a shallow grave after making "superficial" cuts to her throat which were not enough to kill her and she was aware of her surroundings when she died at some point on March 6.
Singh pleaded guilty to the murder but the horrific details of his crime came to light during sentencing submissions at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Carmen Matteo said the murder was "not efficient" and Kaur was "made to suffer".
"She had to have been consciously suffering what could only be described as the absolute terror of breathing in and swallowing soil and dying in that way," Matteo said.
Kaur's family, including her mother, were in the court to hear the sentencing submissions.
The court heard Singh planned the killing because he was unable to get over the breakdown of their relationship.
"The way in which Kaur was killed involved, really, an uncommon level of cruelty," Matteo said.
"It's not known when her throat was cut, it's not known when or how she got into or was placed into that burial grave, and it's not known when that was dug, other than the prosecution says it had to have been while she was still alive and in preparation for her burial.
"[It was] a killing that was committed as an act of vengeance or as an act of revenge," she said.
Singh wrote several messages to Kaur in the lead-up to her death that he never ended up sending.
"Your bad luck that I am still alive, cheap, wait and watch, will get the answer, each and every single one will get the answer," one message said.
Singh initially denied murder, saying Kaur had committed suicide and that he had buried the body, but pleaded guilty before he was due to stand trial earlier this year.
He took officers to her burial site where they found Kaur's shoes, glasses, and work name badge in a bin, alongside looped cable ties.
He was caught on CCTV hours before the murder at a Bunnings in Mile End buying gloves, cable ties, and a shovel.
He faces a mandatory life sentence, with the court to impose a non-parole period next month.
His lawyer wants him to be given a more merciful sentence, partly because they labelled it a "crime of passion".
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
