'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACax8P/xAAdEAACAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQFASIHEBIx/9oACAEBAAE/ALBlKfC7fNPCTYpGMnEwYoZawi3zv9Hr/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAwEBPwB//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Death by Fame on Investigation Discovery is set to cover the shocking murder of Maple Batalia in its upcoming episode, a case that shook all of Surrey and its close-knit Indian community to the core. Dating back to 2011, this case remains a shocking reminder of obsession, love gone bad, and the brutal nature of humanity itself.
The upcoming episode of Death by Fame, titled Diary of a Madman, which premieres on February 17, 2025, at 9.00 PM EST, will cover this case in depth. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"A young actress gets her big break in the hit movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules"; within months, she turns up dead in her school parking lot; police sift through hundreds of hours of surveillance to attempt to catch her killer in the act."
Trending
Ahead of the episode's air time, let us go over the events that led to Maple Batalia's murder.
Who is Maple Batalia, and what happened to her?
Maple Batalia was one of the rare 19-year-old kids who seemingly had a lot figured out. Originally hailing from Mumbai, India, Batalia and her family moved to Canada looking for a better life. Ambitious from a young age and growing up in a house that fostered and supported her dreams, Maple had already bagged a role in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and things only seemed to be going up for the young woman.
However, between her newfound fame and an old but intense love affair, Maple Batalia was gunned down in the early morning hours of September 28, 2011, outside her campus library in the Surrey Central City Campus of Simon Fraser University. She was immediately taken to the hospital, but she had sustained three gunshot wounds. She was also stabbed multiple times in the head.
She succumbed to her injuries soon after. Due to the brutality with which the crime was executed, the police knew it was by someone who knew her well and held a lot of anger towards her.
Maple Batalia became a victim of love turned sour
Maple Batalia met and started dating Gurjinder “Gary” Dhaliwal, a guy from her own community and hailing from a respected family. The couple hit it off immediately, and things seemed to be going well for them until Maple started making a name for herself.
Her friends claimed that her newfound fame made her boyfriend jealous, and their relationship soon turned sour. The last nail in the coffin was when Maple found Dhaliwal cheating on her and ended their relationship. But Dhaliwal did not take this well and was allegedly harassing her.
One severe altercation also saw Dhaliwal getting arrested after creating a scene in public. Ultimately, he decided to murder his ex-girlfriend in an extremely brutal manner.
He reportedly rented a car with the help of his friend, Gursimar Bedi, and caught Maple Batalia in the early hours of September 28, 2011, outside her campus library and brutally murdered her.
It took time for the police to gather enough evidence against Gurjinder Dhaliwal, but he was ultimately arrested and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
The upcoming episode of Death by Fame will cover this case in more detail.
