BԪַ

Skip to content

Surrey wife killer Mukhtiar PanghaliBԪַs day parole extended for another 6 months

Panghali, now 51, strangled his pregnant wife of nine years Manjit Panghali, 31, to death on Oct. 18, 2006
web1_230810-sul-panghaliupdate-more-parole_1
Mukhtiar Panghali, left, and Manjit Panghali

The Parole Board of Canada has extended Surrey wife killer Mukhtiar Singh PanghaliBԪַs day parole for another six months.

Panghali, now 51, strangled his pregnant wife of nine years Manjit Panghali, 31, to death on Oct. 18, 2006 after sheBԪַd returned home from a prenatal yoga class, staged the discovery of her car in Whalley, burned her body on a remote beach along DeltaPort causeway in South Delta and then delayed for as long as he could to lodge a missing persons complaint with the Surrey RCMP.

He was first granted day parole for six months on July 25, 2022 and then once again on Jan. 6, 2023.

Both he and his wife were Surrey school teachers. He taught physics at Princess Margaret Secondary and she taught at North Ridge Elementary. She was four months pregnant and their daughter was three years old at the time of her murder.

Panghali was found guilty of second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body, following a trial in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster in 2010, and was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility to apply for parole until after heBԪַd served 11 years. He got four years credit for time served while awaiting trial, otherwise it would have been 15 years.

The parole board rendered its latest decision on July 25.

BԪַWhile there is no Victim Impact Statement on file, your case management team (CMT) indicate that your actions devastated the lives of the victimBԪַs family including your own daughter, tore your family apart, and shook an entire community,BԪַ the boardBԪַs document notes. BԪַYou cut not only your wifeBԪַs life short, but also your unborn childBԪַs life. There is clear harm experienced by the victimBԪַs family who also include your own daughter and the grief and loss they will continuously endure.BԪַ

Among conditions he must abide by, Panghali is not to have any contact with the BԪַbiologicalBԪַ family members of his victim, including his daughter, without securing written permission of his parole supervisor.

BԪַYou report that you have spent the last 15 years of your life unlearning your maladaptive coping skills and BԪַold worldBԪַ attitudes in order to learn and internalize equalness in relationships, needing open and honest communication, and appropriate boundaries with partners,BԪַ the board noted.

The document states that prior to his wifeBԪַs murder, BԪַtension escalatedBԪַ between the couple when he wanted his parents to move into their Cloverdale home against her wishes. BԪַYou took this as an insult to your family and your authority. File information informs that the marriage did include allegations of violence and abuse.BԪַ

Further, the parole board found, BԪַYou have learnt and demonstrated that you can effectively solve problems that you admit you did not do in your marriage. You recognize how your cultural thinking around females was what ultimately led you to commit your crime. You have worked to develop healthy beliefs and attitudes regarding intimate relationships. The facilitator noted you are accountable for the choices you make.BԪַ

The board did not disclose where Panghali is residing.

BԪַLooking at your file, it is obvious that you have made many gains and have shown growth during periods of day parole,BԪַ the parole board determined.



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

Like us on Follow us on   and follow Tom on



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
Read more



(or

BԪַ

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }