By Canadian Press

Calgary couple stranded in India by COVID-19 pandemic killed: family

Jun 3, 2020 | 1:15 PM

CALGARY — Family say a Calgary couple stranded in India because of the COVID-19 pandemic was robbed and killed last week.

Kirpal Minhas, who was 67, and his wife Davinder, who was 65, were supposed to return the first week of April but their flight was cancelled.

The couple’s son-in-law says the permanent residents were trying to get another flight to Canada when they were attacked in their home in the Punjab region on Friday evening.

Kam Rathore says local authorities told him three people overpowered the husband and stabbed him to death and that the wife was strangled.

He says police have told them a tenant of the home was arrested along with two other men, and that jewelry and cash were taken.

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Rathore says the couple had two daughters in Calgary and two sons in the U.S. who are devastated they could not pay their final respects in person.

“It’s a tragic loss that we will never be able to refill with anything else,” he said, adding extended family in India arranged for the couple to be cremated in the Sikh tradition.

He said he’s grateful to police in the northern Indian city of Phagwara for making arrests so quickly.

Global Affairs Canada says it’s aware of the deaths, but cannot disclose any further information for privacy reasons.

This report by The Canadian press was first published June 3, 2020

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said Kirpal and Davinder Minhas were killed on Saturday