The 2003 murder case of 17-year-old Amandeep Atwal sent shockwaves throughout the entire nation. The 17-year-old belonged to a conservative Indian family headed by her father Rajinder Atwal, who brought her up in a strict environment. Residing in Kitimat, British Columbia, the family originally belonged to Punjab, India.
The incident took place on July 30, 2003, when the Atwal family embarked on a family vacation to Vancouver, Canada. Rajinder was reportedly angry with Amandeep due to her relationship with Todd McIsaac, who was her classmate in high school. As a result, he reportedly fatally stabbed her several times in the family car before he took her to Langley Memorial Hospital. There, he claimed that she stabbed herself with a kitchen knife while sitting in the passenger seat of the car.
However, further investigation brought the truth to light and Rajinder Atwal was sentenced to life in prison. However, he was granted day parole in 2018, which indicates that he reportedly goes to his family home and returns to the community residential facility at night, as per CTV News Vancouver.
Where is Rajinder Atwal now?
While Rajinder claimed that Amandeep had ended her own life, autopsy results revealed otherwise. The teen reportedly had 11 stab wounds and both her lungs had been punctured, as per The Cinemaholic. Her face had also been slashed and she had been stabbed in the abdomen and throat as well.
As per the publication, a pathologist reported that the youngster was stabbed a few times even after her death. It was after this that Rajinder was arrested by the authorities and put on trial. He was sentenced to life in prison and was convicted of second-degree murder with the possibility of parole after serving 16 years, as per The Cinemaholic. Rajinder has had multiple parole meetings over the years.
He was granted day parole in December 2018 but was denied full parole as he reportedly found it difficult to explain his values at the time of the incident to the board.
"Your file indicates that your understanding of your harmful beliefs is superficial, which was confirmed for the board at your hearing," the parole board stated as per CTV News Vancouver.
This indicates that Rajinder Atwal spends the day at his family home and returns to the community residential facility at night, as per CTV News Vancouver.
More about Amandeep Atwal's murder
Amandeep was known to be a bright student and was quite popular at her high school. When her father found out about her relationship with Todd McIsaac, tensions escalated, leading to more fights in the household. The young couple reportedly planned on moving to Prince George together and went there for three days. However, Rajinder traveled there and asked his daughter to accompany the family on a trip to Vancouver, as per The Cinemaholic.
However, while the father-daughter duo were in the Fraser River Valley, Rajinder fatally stabbed the teen and took her to a nearby hospital.