Crime, courts
Sikh musician denies
Bains murder charge
YUBA CITY(2/25/03) -- Thirty-six-year-old musician Lakhwinder Singh has pleaded innocent in Sutter County to homicide charges stemming from the Feb. 15 shooting of Prabjot Bains, 28.
Superior Court Judge Robert Damron Monday ordered Singh to remain in custody in lieu of $5 million bail. Further proceedings are scheduled for March 13.
More than 2,000 mourners -- some coming from as far away as the United Kingdom -- thronged Sunday to a memorial service for Bains, who was a member of one of Sutter County's most prominent families.
It took more than two hours for all the mourners to file by the casket and pay their final respects Bains, who was a high school sports star and well-liked farmer.
Local authorities called the Bains funeral one of the largest public demonstrations of grief in local history.
Singh was arrested shortly after noon Saturday Feb. 15, Sheriff's Captain Malkit S. Johl reported.
Passersby observed Singh and Bains wrestling together in a vehicle stopped beside a roadway in the western section of Yuba City where it edges into farming land.
When one of the witnesses attempted to separate the two men, Singh allegedly pulled out a weapon and shot Bains dead. Another bystander, described simply as "a male citizen," grabbed the gun away from Singh and held him until deputies arrived, Johl said.
The wounded Bains was taken to Rideout Emergency in Marysville where he was pronounced dead.
The two unidentified citizens "are to be commended for their valiant efforts in assisting law enforcement during this dangerous situation," Johl said.
Word of Bains' death blazed through the Yuba-Sutter Sikh community, where the victim's uncle, Didar Bains is a patriarchal figure.
A picture of events leading up to the fatal confrontation emerged from interviews with a number of people close to the circumstances.
A citizen of India and a musician, Singh reportedly was sponsored into the US by members of the Bains family. Some thought he was here under a political asylum program, but that could not be independently verified.
In any event, once here, he earned money by reading the Sikh holy book and performing sacred music on stringed instruments at ceremonies conducted at area temples and in private homes.
"He could read the holy book in the old language. Not everyone can," J.R. Thiara explained.
Things took a turn when on Feb. 11, a married female relative of Prabjot Bains allegedly found a note stuck under her windshield wiper.
The note has been characterized as a love note, or at least a missive in which Singh allegedly professed his affection for the woman -- who unfortunately already married.
At that time there was a confrontation between the woman and Singh, and she complained -- complaint that became known to her brother-in-law, Prabjot Bains.
The fatal argument erupted, according to those familiar with the family and the circumstances, when Bains and Singh encountered each other several days later.
More than 80 friends and relatives of the victim attended Singh's first court hearing Feb. 19, only to find that for security reasons he was to be arraigned by closed circuit television.
Conversing through a Punjabi court interpreter, Singh was introduced to Michael Barrette, a Yuba City defense attorney who had been retained by a woman in Canada related to Singh.
The standing-room-only crowd of angry Sikhs watched stonily as Singh questioned Barrette and the judge via TV. Singh reserved entering a plea and matters were continued.
Before recessing, Damron welcomed the orderly audience to future hearings, but counseled them to refrain from discussing the case inside the courthouse.
"This is an emotional case, I know … but people just get in trouble" by arguing, Damron said.
Bains was a favored nephew of Didar Bains, who attended the first hearing. He called his nephew's death "sad, very sad."
Bail was originally set at $1 million, but the normal 10 percent security bond for is only $100,000 and Bains family members expressed fears that Singh could easily raise the amount and flee the country.
"He'll skip. He's a citizen of India and he'll be gone," said family friend Sarb Thiara.
On Feb. 21 Judge Damron granted a prosecution motion to hike the bail to $5 million and Singh's passport was seized, Deputy District Attorney Susan Green reported.
--for India-West
Sikh musician denies
Bains murder charge
YUBA CITY(2/25/03) -- Thirty-six-year-old musician Lakhwinder Singh has pleaded innocent in Sutter County to homicide charges stemming from the Feb. 15 shooting of Prabjot Bains, 28.
Superior Court Judge Robert Damron Monday ordered Singh to remain in custody in lieu of $5 million bail. Further proceedings are scheduled for March 13.
More than 2,000 mourners -- some coming from as far away as the United Kingdom -- thronged Sunday to a memorial service for Bains, who was a member of one of Sutter County's most prominent families.
It took more than two hours for all the mourners to file by the casket and pay their final respects Bains, who was a high school sports star and well-liked farmer.
Local authorities called the Bains funeral one of the largest public demonstrations of grief in local history.
Singh was arrested shortly after noon Saturday Feb. 15, Sheriff's Captain Malkit S. Johl reported.
Passersby observed Singh and Bains wrestling together in a vehicle stopped beside a roadway in the western section of Yuba City where it edges into farming land.
When one of the witnesses attempted to separate the two men, Singh allegedly pulled out a weapon and shot Bains dead. Another bystander, described simply as "a male citizen," grabbed the gun away from Singh and held him until deputies arrived, Johl said.
The wounded Bains was taken to Rideout Emergency in Marysville where he was pronounced dead.
The two unidentified citizens "are to be commended for their valiant efforts in assisting law enforcement during this dangerous situation," Johl said.
Word of Bains' death blazed through the Yuba-Sutter Sikh community, where the victim's uncle, Didar Bains is a patriarchal figure.
A picture of events leading up to the fatal confrontation emerged from interviews with a number of people close to the circumstances.
A citizen of India and a musician, Singh reportedly was sponsored into the US by members of the Bains family. Some thought he was here under a political asylum program, but that could not be independently verified.
In any event, once here, he earned money by reading the Sikh holy book and performing sacred music on stringed instruments at ceremonies conducted at area temples and in private homes.
"He could read the holy book in the old language. Not everyone can," J.R. Thiara explained.
Things took a turn when on Feb. 11, a married female relative of Prabjot Bains allegedly found a note stuck under her windshield wiper.
The note has been characterized as a love note, or at least a missive in which Singh allegedly professed his affection for the woman -- who unfortunately already married.
At that time there was a confrontation between the woman and Singh, and she complained -- complaint that became known to her brother-in-law, Prabjot Bains.
The fatal argument erupted, according to those familiar with the family and the circumstances, when Bains and Singh encountered each other several days later.
More than 80 friends and relatives of the victim attended Singh's first court hearing Feb. 19, only to find that for security reasons he was to be arraigned by closed circuit television.
Conversing through a Punjabi court interpreter, Singh was introduced to Michael Barrette, a Yuba City defense attorney who had been retained by a woman in Canada related to Singh.
The standing-room-only crowd of angry Sikhs watched stonily as Singh questioned Barrette and the judge via TV. Singh reserved entering a plea and matters were continued.
Before recessing, Damron welcomed the orderly audience to future hearings, but counseled them to refrain from discussing the case inside the courthouse.
"This is an emotional case, I know … but people just get in trouble" by arguing, Damron said.
Bains was a favored nephew of Didar Bains, who attended the first hearing. He called his nephew's death "sad, very sad."
Bail was originally set at $1 million, but the normal 10 percent security bond for is only $100,000 and Bains family members expressed fears that Singh could easily raise the amount and flee the country.
"He'll skip. He's a citizen of India and he'll be gone," said family friend Sarb Thiara.
On Feb. 21 Judge Damron granted a prosecution motion to hike the bail to $5 million and Singh's passport was seized, Deputy District Attorney Susan Green reported.
--for India-West
<< Home