In a fresh twist to the Jassi Sidhu “honour killing” case, the Supreme Court of Canada has ordered a stay on the extradition of two prime accused right at the last minute of their departure. 

Jassi’s mother Malkit Sidhu and maternal uncle Surjeet Badesha, accompanied by a three-member team of Punjab Police, were scheduled to arrive in New Delhi at 9 pm on Thursday. “The Canadian officials made the accused and police team alight from the plane at the last minute.

They had boarded the plane with permission of the Canadian Government,” said an official. Police sources said the Canadian court stayed the extradition after relatives of the accused moved a fresh plea claiming they might not get a free trial in India considering certain adverse posts in the social media back home. 

They pleaded that the two faced a threat to life. The court announced that it would review the extradition as certain Facebook posts from India claimed that the two would be convicted immediately. Under the extradition treaty, the Indian Government gives an undertaking of a fair trial but the posts claimed otherwise. 

Sources said efforts were on to get the Supreme Court stay on extradition vacated. Punjab Police officials said sketchy details were available. “We took the two in custody on Wednesday. We are trying to establish contact with the team and Canadian police but there is a delay in communication because of the time difference between the two countries.” 

The police team comprised Patiala SP (HQ) Kanwardeep Kaur, Dhuri DSP Akashdeep Singh Aulakh and Inspector Deepinder Pal Singh. The police had even made arrangements to produce them before a Sangrur judge on Friday. The court had earlier ruled extradition of the accused to India in connection with the murder case. 

Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, alias Jassi, a resident of Maple Bridge, Canada, and her husband Sukhwinder Singh Mithu of Kaunke Khosa in Jagraon were attacked on June 8, 2000 near Malerkotla by contract killers, allegedly hired by Jassi’s mother and uncle. Jassi had died, while Mithu survived.