Husband of mutilated Punjabi woman vows to catch her killer
November 20th, 2009 - 4:18 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Nov 20 (IANS) The estranged husband of an Indian-origin woman who was murdered this week with her hand chopped off has vowed to catch her killer.
Geeta Aulakh, a 28-year-old mother of two, died Monday after she was found with severe head wounds and her right hand severed from her arm, lying on the pavement in the west London neighbourhood of Greenford.
Six men were arrested from a home Thursday in connection with the murder while six others, who were arrested earlier - including her estranged Indian-born husband Harpreet - were released on bail.
Harpreet Aulakh told The Mirror in comments published Thursday: “I love Geeta, I would never hurt her.”
“I’m disgusted. I had nothing to do with it. CCTV proves I was in a pub at the time. I was nowhere near the crime scene.
“The police arrested me because I helped them with a gang-related crime years ago, a shooting in Hounslow, and they had me on file that way. I’m going to find out who did this, and those people will pay.
“I will make sure they are sorry, even if it takes the rest of my life.”
The Mirror said police had rejected a theory that Geeta was the victim of honour killing.
Harpreet Aulakh revealed he and Geeta were threatened after he gave police evidence about a shooting in the northwest London suburb of Hunslow, home to a large population of Punjabis.
“There have been threats made against me and Geeta. We should have been in police protection but they did nothing. I have been attacked by a gang in Hounslow and have wounds on my head and arms.
“What happened has got to do with me, not with her,” he said.
Meanwhile, Detective Chief Inspector Howard Groves told the Daily Mail newspaper he believed Geeta’s hand was cut off as she desperately tried to protect herself.
“The severance of her right hand was part and parcel of the attack. It could be a defence wound if she put her hand up to protect herself,” he said.
“Whether there are other religious or cultural things, I doubt any significance can be put on that.”
“Mrs Aulakh received significant injuries to her head. I’m not prepared to go into details but they were substantial. We don’t have a motive yet - it’s still early days. It’s not something where there is an obvious motive like a robbery or a burglary,” Groves added,
- Hubby, three others to face trial over Brit-Indian Geeta Aulakh's mutilation murder - Oct 18, 2010
- Fourth man charged over murder of Indian origin woman in UK - Aug 15, 2010
- Husband charged with killing Brit Indian mother of two - Dec 13, 2009
- London teenager charged with murder of Geeta Aulakh - Nov 22, 2009
- Indian husband of woman with chopped hand to appear in court - Dec 13, 2009
- 6 more arrested in Geeta Aulakh murder case, husband gets bail - Nov 19, 2009
- Brit-Indian 'jealous' husband caught on CCTV buying machete for wife's murder - Dec 04, 2010
- Husband of mutilated Indian-origin woman charged with murder - Dec 13, 2009
- Indian-origin woman found on London street with severed hand, honour killing suspected (Lead) - Nov 18, 2009
- Fourth man charged with Indian-origin woman's murder - Aug 14, 2010
- Brit Indian Sikh found guilty of wife's murder over her asking for divorce - Dec 03, 2010
- Brit-Indian woman killed for daring to file divorce petition - Oct 19, 2010
- Indian woman killed, found on London street with severed hand - Nov 18, 2009
- Teenager charged for mutilation murder of Brit Indian - Nov 22, 2009
- Indian man appears in London court for wife's gruesome murder - Dec 15, 2009
Tags: chief inspector, crime scene, daily mail, detective chief, gang related, geeta, harpreet, head wounds, hounslow, indian origin, london suburb, northwest london, old mother, police evidence, police protection, punjabis, rest of my life, severance, six men, west london
