Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

New DNA Clue May Help UK Police To Crack 22 Year Old Murder Case Of Indian Origin Woman

UK detectives investigating the murder mystery of an Indian origin woman in Birmingham over 22 years ago are hopeful of cracking the case after getting some DNA clues which could help them to arrest the killer.

The badly decomposed body of 36-year-old Indian origin, Surinder Kaur Varyapraj was found in the first floor bedroom of her home address in Church Hill Road, Handsworth on March 5, 1996 after a local shopkeeper became concerned when Surinder hadn’t been seen for four or five weeks.


She had been strangled, possibly with some sort of ligature, some weeks previously, said West Midlands Police in a release on Thursday (20).

Yet in spite of extensive forensic examinations and house to house enquiries, including 147 witness statements, no-one was ever arrested for her murder. Officers circulated posters of Surinder and appealed for information, but sadly the case remained unsolved.

Now detectives from the cold case review team at West Midlands Police have reviewed evidence and a DNA profile has been uncovered which has led to several people being eliminated from the original enquiry, but it does not match anyone on the national database. There are also unidentified fingerprints taken from the address, which could prove crucial in identifying Surinder’s killer.

Sab Johal, an investigator on the force’s cold case review team, believes that the answers to solving the case rests with the community. He said: "We are keen to trace an Asian man who drove a Jaguar XJS, with the partial registration RAJ, who has been mentioned by other witnesses during the investigation.

"He was believed to rent a room in Vicarage Road, Handsworth, however the man was never identified. We think someone may know who he is or remember the car.”

The last known sighting of Surinder was on February 4, 1996.

Neighbours told detectives that loud banging noises could be heard coming from the row of houses, which included the Surinder’s address sometime just before midnight on February 5, 1996. One neighbour heard a brief high-pitched scream from the same vicinity around the same time.

Surinder was fit and active and well known locally as she used local shops and businesses. She was divorced and lived alone, but was known to have three children, a boy aged 14 and two girls aged 15 and 12 at the time, who lived with her ex-husband.

It’s thought that she had suffered some mental illness in the past and was known to talk to herself.

More For You

The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)
The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump meets Prince William at Notre Dame reopening

US president-elect Donald Trump met Prince William on Saturday during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The event marked the restoration of the historic landmark following a major fire in 2019.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stricter sentences for domestic killers announced

Stricter sentences for domestic killers announced

THE GOVERNMENT has announced tougher sentencing guidelines for domestic murders, focusing on cases involving strangulation or killings linked to the end of relationships.

Judges will now be required to consider stricter penalties for such crimes under two new statutory aggravating factors introduced on 6 December 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service
Kate attends the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 6, 2024. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service

PRINCESS OF WALES, Kate Middleton, hosted a Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday (6) that reflected on "the most difficult times" as she returns to public life after her cancer diagnosis.

The London carol service intended to "reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives", according to Kensington Palace office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report
Banaras Hussain

Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report

A MAN convicted of violent sexual offences in Rotherham is set to be released from prison on licence after serving nine years of a 19-year sentence.

The crimes of Banaras Hussain, 44, included rape, indecent assault, and actual bodily harm, were part of a prolonged pattern of abuse targeting vulnerable victims, some as young as 11.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

TWELVE members of an organised crime group from Birmingham, Walsall, and Yorkshire have been found guilty of defrauding over £2.5 million in Covid support grants through fraudulent claims.

The crime group exploited non-trading businesses and stolen identities to submit multiple Covid support claims, including Bounce Back Loans, HMRC payments, and various grants set up to assist struggling businesses and individuals during the pandemic.

Keep ReadingShow less