Police in Canada have issued a nationwide arrest warrant for a man accused of murdering a 28-year-old woman in British Columbia, amid concerns he may have fled the country.
Investigators with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) say 24-year-old Indian national Amarbir Singh has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Navdeep Kaur, who was reported missing by her family in February 2024.
Navdeep Kaur was last seen at about 10.30pm on 22 February 2024 in Surrey, a city south of Vancouver. Her family alerted police the following day after they were unable to contact her and became concerned for her safety, describing the lack of communication as out of character.
The case was initially handled by Surrey police as a missing persons investigation before being transferred to IHIT in March 2024 after investigators gathered evidence suggesting Navdeep Kaur had been the victim of a homicide.
Search efforts continued for several months until 23 July 2024, when human remains were discovered in the Fraser River near an industrial area at the end of Williams Street in Richmond. The remains were later confirmed to be those of Navdeep Kaur.
According to IHIT, investigators spent months analysing evidence from several locations and reconstructing a timeline of events surrounding her disappearance and death. Their findings were submitted to the British Columbia Prosecution Service, which approved a charge of second-degree murder against Amarbir Singh earlier this month.
Police said Amarbir Singh and Navdeep Kaur had been in a relationship at the time she disappeared.
A Canada-wide warrant has now been issued for Amarbir Singh’s arrest. Investigators believe he may have left the country after previously being interviewed in connection with the case.
IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Freda Fong said authorities are continuing efforts to locate him and are prepared to work with international law enforcement agencies if necessary. She said investigators are aware he may have fled abroad but stressed that this would not halt the investigation.
Police have indicated that Amarbir Singh was last believed to be in India and are working with international partners, including Interpol, as part of efforts to locate and return him to Canada.
Legal experts note that extradition proceedings can take considerable time, particularly when multiple legal and diplomatic processes are involved in the country where a suspect is located.
Investigators have asked anyone with information about Amarbir Singh’s current whereabouts to contact IHIT.
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