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Date set for gurdwara murder case

R S Shankar

The hearing in the murder of a charismatic Sikh leader, who was also one of the most popular teachers in an Oakland school, is expected to start on April 3.

On Wednesday, Joga Singh Sandher, 35, accused of gunning down Ajmer Singh Malhi, a founder of the El Sobrante gurdwara, was indicted by a grand jury.

According to the officials, Sandher, who had re-embraced Sikhism after his father's death due to cancer in India a few months ago, was angry that Malhi had not allowed him to speak to the congregation about his conversion.

Malhi's friends say that he denied Sandher's request because on a previous occasion he (Sandher) had talked incoherently. Also, he had sought to speak after the allotted time for such activities was over.

There were suggestions soon after the murder that 53-year-old Malhi, an outspoken Khalistani, was killed to silence his views. But soon the family withdrew the allegations and said they believed that Sandher had acted on his own.

Sandher, who runs a limousine business, is being held in lieu of a $ 2.5 million bail. The prosecutors convinced the judge to set a high bail by arguing that Sandher could get a false passport and flee to India.

He was indicted on one count of murder and one count of assault with a semi-automatic weapon.

"Everything proceeded smoothly," said Deputy District Attorney Tom O'Connor. "The grand jury returned with the indictment within 10 minutes of final remarks."

Geoffrey Rotwein, Sandher's attorney, has requested a Punjabi interpreter for future appearances. "I think that when all the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident and my client are reviewed, the public will have a very different impression and opinion of my client," Rotwein told the media.

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