- Kirandeep Kaur, 24, fatally stabbed in west London home.
- Family seeks justice, repatriation of body to India.
- Daniel Sean James charged with murder, in custody.
The family of a 24-year-old Indian woman who was fatally stabbed at her home in west London has appealed for justice and requested that her body be returned to India for her final rites. Kirandeep Kaur, a native of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, died after she was allegedly attacked while sleeping alongside her husband and infant at their home in Hayes, west London, on July 12.
"She was my world"
Speaking to BBC London through a translator, Kaur's younger sister, Gursharan, described the loss as devastating. "She was my world. She supported all of us and always thought about our family first. I don't know how we will live without her," she said.
Kirandeep had moved to the United Kingdom in September 2024 to pursue higher education at Buckinghamshire New University. After completing her studies, she worked at a grocery store while supporting her family financially back in India.
According to Gursharan, Kirandeep excelled academically and was among the top students in her class. Coming from a financially struggling family, she was determined to improve their lives and even helped pay her younger sister's education expenses.
Devastated family
The family, which includes Kirandeep's parents, three siblings, husband and infant child, learned about the tragedy through people in their village before receiving detailed information from authorities. Gursharan said the news has left her parents shattered, with both already facing health issues.
"My mother is devastated, and my father is also unwell. We never imagined something like this could happen to her in London," she said.
The family has urged British authorities to send Kirandeep's body back to India so she can be laid to rest in her hometown. "I haven't seen my sister since she left for London in 2024. We want to see her one last time and perform her funeral in our village," Gursharan said.
Sikh community appeals for justice
Members of the Sikh community in London have organised vigils to honour Kirandeep's memory, a gesture for which her family expressed gratitude. They also appealed for justice, hoping no other family experiences a similar tragedy.
Meanwhile, 46-year-old Daniel Sean James, from Pinner in west London, has been charged with Kirandeep Kaur's murder. He also faces charges of attempted murder and possession of a bladed weapon.
Prosecutors allege James attacked Kaur inside her home before jumping from a window, reportedly breaking both ankles. He was arrested by police nearby and appeared before the Old Bailey via video link from Wormwood Scrubs prison. The court has scheduled a plea hearing for October 1, and James remains in custody pending further proceedings.
(With inputs from PTI)
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