SAN JOSE: On September 16,1992, family of Surjit Singh Padda, of San Jose, CA, received a shocking news that Padda’s body was found at Juhu Centaur, a five star hotel near Bombay airport.
He had talked to his wife over the telephone just a few hours prior to this wagedy indicating that he will be heading back soon after signing a business contract.
Surjit Singh was a very successful businessman in San Francisco Bay area. He moved to the United States in 1977 from Canada and worked very hard to develop businesses and built a million dollar home. He was planning to enter into international trade.
Surjit Singh Padda s/o S. Gopal Singh Padda was born in 1940 at Bhorne Bojha village, district Gurdaspur, Punjab. After graduating from Punjab University, he received physical education training in Madras and taught number of years in Punjab. He moved to Canada in 1970 and then to United States and became U.S. citizen and became entrepreneur. He was very social and loved entertaining his friends and relatives. He is survived by his wife Sardarni Ravinder Kaur, two daughters Par deep Kaur and Rupinder Kaur and a son Ramanjit Singh, Sunder Singh Sidhu of Los Angeles is his brother-in-law. Hardial Singh Gill and Hoshiar Singh are his son-in laws.
His cousins from Punjab, went to receive his body, but they were tortured by Bombay police. Finally U.S. embassy in India intervened and made arrangements to transport Padda’s body to San Jose. Indian authorities did not embalm his body, which decayed over a period of time and was found in an un describable condition in a steel container. Bombay police is not giving any details of this murder.
Family and friends would like to know more about the motive and circumstances under which his tragedy took place. One thing is fore sure, one has to be careful to 20 to India, especially if you area Sikh, It is obvious that Indian authorities do not want the Sikhs to grow financially in India or abroad.
If anyone has information related to this incident, please call S. Surinder Singh Sidhu at (805) 251-5142, or Hardial Singh Gill or Hoshiar Singh at (408) 2704718.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 23, 1992
