Parole granted for B.C. man who strangled pregnant wife to death in 2006
CTV
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland who was convicted of second-degree murder for strangling his pregnant wife to death 17 years ago has been granted full parole.
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland who was convicted of second-degree murder for strangling his pregnant wife to death 17 years ago has been granted full parole.
Mukhtiar Singh Panghali was previously granted day parole last year – a move that outraged advocates for victims of domestic violence.
The offender killed Manjit Panghali at their home in Surrey's Cloverdale neighbourhood in October 2006, then burned her body. Before his wife's disappearance was solved, Panghali made a tearful public plea for her safe return.
In a decision issued Oct. 6, the Parole Board of Canada said Panghali has made significant progress toward mitigating his risk to the community, which included completing a number of treatment programs and finally taking responsibility for killing his wife – something he avoided doing for years.
"You initially attempted to appeal, denying responsibility and providing a cultural rationalization for burning the victim's body," the document reads. "You have since admitted to having a desire to murder the victim prior to the date of the index offence, and planned to commit the murder beforehand."
While Panghali was assessed as a high-risk of violence in a domestic setting in 2011, a subsequent psychological assessment completed in 2020 determined he posed a low-moderate risk of violence.
Since being granted day parole, the offender has "not posed any significant management concern, and (appears) to be reintegrating appropriately," according to the board's decision.
