Accused woman ‘distraught’
Woman, father accused of Brampton murder ‘estranged for a year’
The woman accused of seconddegree murder in the death of her sister-in-law is “distraught and depressed” over the charges, her lawyer says.
Deepak Paradkar said his client, Mandeep Punia, is also “very saddened” and that she had a “good relationship” with Poonam Litt before Litt’s disappearance.
“There was no animosity, it was a very healthy relationship,” he said, after 35-year-old Punia made a brief appearance in a Brampton courtroom Saturday morning.
Punia was charged Friday. Her father, Kulwant Singh Litt — Poonam Litt’s father-in-law, 63 — was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.
Both remain in custody. He returns to court on Monday, Punia on Tuesday. The father and daughter, while charged in the same case, have been estranged for about a year, Paradkar said outside court. “I think there is some fraction in the family — other than that, I can’t really comment,” he said. “There are lots of things behind-the-scenes I can’t get into, estrangement and non-communication.” Punia, ushered into the courtroom by security officers, stood qui- etly for her court appearance. All of Saturday’s court proceedings were placed under a publication ban. Poonam Litt went missing in 2009, and her remains were found in February in a wooded area in Caledon. Poonam Litt’s family and friends made a strong showing at bail court Saturday morning, arriving at least an hour before proceedings began. Six of them, three males and three females, walked across the parking lot and into the Hurontario St. building accompanied by two police officers. They were later joined by others.
One family member said he was there in a show of support for the victim, but when asked to comment he said “let the other side (talk),” meaning Punia’s family.
Litt shared a home in Brampton with her husband, Manjinder Litt, their young daughter as well as extended family: his parents, sister and brother-in law, as well as that couple’s two children. She was reportedly pregnant when she went missing. Peel police stressed that Manjinder Litt is not a suspect in his wife’s murder, but did say he is known to police for an unrelated issue. He was in India when his wife disappeared.
Investigators are looking into so many family members that it’s unclear if any of them could act as sureties for Punia, her lawyer said.
Kulwant Singh Litt, 63, has been convicted of sex assault and criminal harassment in the past, unrelated to this case.