Suspect accused of killing Sikh family in US pleads not guilty
San Francisco (PTI): The main suspect who kidnapped and killed four members of an Indian-origin Sikh family, including a baby girl, in California has entered a not guilty plea in court, authorities said.
The Sikh family of four, 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur, her 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh, and her 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh were kidnapped at gunpoint and killed allegedly by Jesus Salgado, a former disgruntled employee of their trucking company.
Salgado entered a not guilty plea in court on Thursday, Merced County Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Serratto was quoted as saying by CNN.
Salgado, who was arrested on October 6, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for the death of the Indian-origin family. He is also charged with arson and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Salgado was in court four days prior on Monday, but his arraignment was continued after he told the judge he needed more time to find an attorney.
On Thursday, he told the judge he still did not find an attorney, so he was appointed a public defender.
Prosecutors also added a special allegation of kidnapping to the charges, alleging that Salgado forcefully took the family from their trucking business.
Authorities have said Salgado, who is a former employee of the family's business, kidnapped the four from their central California business last Monday and killed them that day. The family was kidnapped at gunpoint an abduction which was recorded on surveillance video.
Police took Salgado into custody last week after his family told authorities he admitted to being involved in the kidnapping, Merced County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Alexandra Britton said.
Salgado, 48, is being held on USD 450,000 bail, according to county inmate records. His attorney could not be reached for comment. A status hearing in the case is set for December 15.
He appeared in Merced County Superior court on Thursday morning wearing shackles and a safety garment.
It's the first time their family members have seen Salgado in person since their bodies were found in an orchard near last Wednesday.
Just hours after Jesus Salgado's hearing, his brother, Alberto, 41, also appeared in court for the first time, KFSN TV reported.
He is now charged with criminal conspiracy, accessory and arson. The report added that he was smiling when he first appeared on video and made comments the victims' family felt were disrespectful.
Meanwhile, a large group of the victims' loved ones gathered at the courthouse for the second time this week in a show of solidarity. They are now planning a funeral during the weekend while grieving an unimaginable loss, the report added.
The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California.
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IPL first phase schedule announced amid travel concerns caused by war in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28 as the BCCI announced the first phase of the tournament schedule amid concerns around players' travel arrangements due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
All matches scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium remain subject to clearance from the Karnataka government appointed expert committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 13 to assess venue preparedness in the wake of the deadly stampede at the stadium last season.
The BCCI announced the schedule of the first 20 games on Wednesday and will unveil the full schedule once the dates of elections in three states -- Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal -- are announced.
Besides the state elections, the escalating conflict in West Asia will also be at the forefront of BCCI officials' minds. The war has wreaked havoc to international travel with operations of major airports like Doha and Dubai being heavily restricted.
As a result of that, some of the squad members of South Africa and West Indies are yet to reach home a week after the completion of their T20 World Cup campaign.
It remains to be seen if IPL bound players of those two nations report to their respective teams in time.
"There was a substantial delay in departure of West Indies and South Africa players. It would be a tough task to get them back to India on time. Plus the airfares have gone up substantially due to the war in West Asia," a team official told PTI.
Additionally, hotels across India are facing cooking gas shortage due to the raging conflict and on Tuesday, the central government invoked Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanthan told PTI that he is expecting his players from the West Indies and South Africa -- Akeal Hossein and Dewald Brevis, to join the team well before their IPL opener.
"We are expecting no delays from their end," he said.
The second game of the opening weekend will see Mumbai Indians host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium and the opening weekend will not feature any double-headers.
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
"During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur," said the BCCI in a statement.
"During this period (the first 16 days), the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.
"Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
"The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka," the BCCI added.
