Indian student strangled to death in Edmonton, partner charged with second-degree murder
Damanpreet Kaur, 23, from Punjab died after alleged strangulation in Canada. Her live-in partner Ritish Kumar faces life imprisonment if convicted in what police classify as intimate partner homicide.
Indian student strangled to death in Edmonton, partner charged with second-degree murder
A 23-year-old Indian student has died after being strangled at her Edmonton home, with police charging her live-in partner with second-degree murder in what authorities have classified as an intimate partner homicide.
Damanpreet Kaur, originally from Lal Kalan village in Ludhiana district, Punjab, was found unresponsive with suspicious injuries at her residence in the Silverberry neighbourhood of southeast Edmonton on July 9. Emergency responders rushed her to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she died three days later on July 12.
An autopsy conducted on July 14 by the Edmonton Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Kaur died from strangulation. The Edmonton Police Service arrested 22-year-old Ritish Kumar, an Indian national from Delhi, on July 22 and charged him with second-degree murder. Police confirmed no other suspects are being sought in the case.
The death adds to a pattern of intimate partner violence in Canada, where 100 people were victims of intimate partner homicide in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Women and girls accounted for 79% of the 963 intimate partner homicide victims between 2014 and 2024.
If convicted, Kumar faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment under Canadian law, with parole eligibility between 10 and 25 years as determined by a judge.
Family struggles with financial burden
Kaur moved to Canada approximately five years ago on a study visa, part of a large wave of Indian students pursuing education abroad. India was Canada's largest source of international students in 2023, with approximately 427,000 students representing about 41% of all international students in the country.
Her parents reportedly took loans to finance her education and support her plans to settle abroad. The financial burden reflects a common pattern in rural Punjab, where families often use life savings, sell property, or take bank loans to support their children's migration abroad.
Jagjit Singh, a village panchayat member from Kaur's hometown, told media that the family was facing financial difficulties after taking loans to support her education. He said Kaur was a bright student and her parents had hoped she would help repay the debt taken for her education.
The family, left devastated by the loss of their only child, is awaiting the return of her mortal remains for last rites. A fundraising campaign has reportedly been launched in Canada to help transport Kaur's body back to India.
Changing landscape for Indian students
The tragedy occurs against a backdrop of significant changes in Indian student migration to Canada. The number of Indian study permit holders dropped sharply from 278,005 in 2023 to 188,255 in 2024, a 32% decline that marks a dramatic shift after years of growth.
Students from Ludhiana district, where Kaur was from, represent a major portion of Punjab's student migration, typically moving to countries like Canada after secondary education. Despite the recent decline in numbers, Indian students contributed an estimated CAD 22 billion annually to the Canadian economy at their 2023 peak through tuition fees, housing, and consumer spending.
The case remains under investigation by the Edmonton Police Service's homicide section.
