Punjabi Crime Podcast

In March 2024 in Barrhaven, a suburb of Ottawa, Canada, a Sri Lankan immigrant family was the victim of a shocking mass stabbing when 19-year-old Febrio De-Zoysa, a student living with them, attacked the household with a large knife. Police found six people dead inside the home — a 35-year-old mother and her four young children, aged seven, four, three, and two months, as well as a 40-year-old family friend — while the father survived with serious injuries. Investigators said the victims and De-Zoysa knew each other, but the motive remained unclear at the time. It was described as one of the most brutal and rare mass killings in Ottawa’s history. In November 2025, De-Zoysa pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for 25 years.

Toyah Cordingley was a 24-year-old woman from Far North Queensland who disappeared in October 2018 after going to Wangetti Beach, near Cairns, to walk her dog. She was found dead the next day, and the case triggered a major investigation that lasted years and drew national attention. Police eventually identified Rajwinder Singh — an Australian resident who had left for India shortly after the killing — as their prime suspect. After lengthy legal processes and cooperation between Australian and Indian authorities, he was extradited back to Australia to stand trial. A jury later found him guilty of Toyah’s murder, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment, marking the end of a long fight for justice by Toyah’s family and community.

Sharanjit Kaur, living in New Zealand, became enraged after seeing a family photo of her partner with his wife and children, and in June 2024 she followed and chased the wife’s car at dangerously high speeds. During the pursuit, she repeatedly tried to intimidate her, drove on the wrong side of the road, and reached speeds estimated at more than 120 km/h. The chase ended in a head-on collision with an unrelated motorist, 49-year-old Jonathan “Jono” Baker, who died instantly, while Kaur received only minor injuries. She later pleaded guilty to reckless driving causing death and was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court to four years in prison and banned from driving for five years, despite her defence arguing for home detention on mental-health and remorse grounds, which the judge rejected given the extreme danger of her actions.

Gurjit (Gurjeet) Singh was a 27-year-old man living in Dunedin, New Zealand, who was stabbed to death outside his Liberton home in January 2024. Police found him with multiple stab wounds and quickly launched a homicide investigation. A 35-year-old man named Rajinder was arrested and charged after investigators gathered CCTV, DNA, and other evidence linking him to the attack. In court, prosecutors said the killing may have been motivated by personal jealousy connected to a rejected marriage proposal involving Gurjit’s wife. After a jury trial in the High Court, Rajinder was found guilty of murder and now faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Cleo Smith was a 4-year-old girl from Western Australia who disappeared from a tent while camping with her family at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon in October 2021. Her disappearance triggered a massive search effort across land, air, and sea, and police quickly treated the case as an abduction. After 18 days, officers found Cleo alive and unharmed inside a locked house in Carnarvon, just minutes from the local police station. A 36-year-old man was arrested and later sentenced to a long prison term for kidnapping her. Cleo’s rescue was described as a miracle and became one of Australia’s most widely followed missing-child investigations.

Jagtar Singh Sidhu, 57, and his wife Harbhajan Kaur Sidhu, 55, were shot inside their rental home near the Caledon–Brampton border in Ontario late at night on November 20, 2023. Police arrived after reports of gunfire; Jagtar died at the scene and Harbhajan passed away later in hospital. Their daughter, in her late 20s, was also shot multiple times but survived. Investigators believe several suspects entered the home and fired dozens of rounds before fleeing in a pickup truck later found burned. Police have said the couple had no criminal connections and have explored the possibility of mistaken identity, but the motive remains unclear and no public arrests have been announced.

Surjit Singh Chhokar was murdered in Scotland in 1998 — but what followed was even more shocking than the crime itself.Three trials, decades of legal battles, accusations of racism, community anger, and finally… justice, after 17 long years.In this video, we break down the full case:🔹 What happened on the night Surjit was killed🔹 Why the early investigations failed🔹 How “double jeopardy” laws were changed🔹 The role of public pressure and activist groups🔹 How the killers were finally brought to justice in 2016This is one of the most important cases in Scottish legal history — a story of injustice, resilience, and a community refusing to stay silent.

In 2003, East London’s quiet Forest Gate neighborhood witnessed a shocking and brutal crime that stunned the entire community. Two hardworking brothers – Amarjit Tiwana (46) and Rajinder “Raj” Tiwana (39) – were gunned down in broad daylight outside their family-run hotel… all over something as small as a parking argument.What happened that afternoon?How did a normal dispute explode into an execution-style double murder?Who was the mysterious shooter who arrived prepared with a MAC-10 machine pistol, capable of spraying bullets at terrifying speed?And how did the police unravel one of London’s most senseless killings?In this video, we break down:🔹 The Tiwana family background🔹 The events leading up to the confrontation🔹 The shocking return of the gunman🔹 How the attack unfolded in seconds🔹 The community impact and police investigation🔹 Court findings and the final justice delivered

Dr. Asha Goel was a Canadian-citizen doctor who was brutally murdered in Mumbai, India, in August 2003 while visiting family. She was 62 and a respected obstetrician and gynaecologist who had practised medicine for decades in Canada. Goel was found dead in her brother’s Malabar Hill flat with multiple stab wounds and severe injuries, and police concluded the killing was linked to a family property dispute. Several people were arrested over the years in connection with the case, and Indian authorities alleged a conspiracy involving her relatives, but the trial dragged on for years amid legal delays and some accused being discharged or dying before facing justice. The case has remained unresolved in several respects, and Goel’s family has repeatedly called for stronger cooperation between Indian and Canadian authorities to see the matter properly concluded.

Ruby Franke is a former U.S. “family-vlogging” YouTuber who ran the channel 8 Passengers, where she documented life with her husband and six children. For years, viewers raised concerns about her harsh parenting style — and in 2023 those concerns escalated into a criminal case.

In August 2023, one of Ruby’s children escaped a house in Utah, appearing malnourished and with injuries, and asked a neighbor for help. Police discovered another child in similar condition and arrested Ruby along with her close associate, parenting coach Jodi Hildebrandt. Prosecutors said the children were subjected to severe punishment, food deprivation, restraints, and emotional abuse.

In early 2024, Ruby pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child abuse and received a prison sentence (to be served in Utah state prison). The case raised major questions about influencer culture, audience responsibility, and how abuse can hide behind “perfect family” content.