Richmond man released on double murder charge

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A Richmond man convicted of killing his mother-in-law and a teenager in a house fire nine years ago is free on parole but must live in a residential facility because of a high risk of recidivism, the parole board said.

Surjit Singh Dosanjh was found guilty of manslaughter after setting fire to a four-family home in the 10,000-block Cornerbrook Crescent in April 2015, killing his mother-in-law (identified in sentencing documents as EL) and a teenager whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

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During the 2018 trial, Dosanjh's partner, LL, testified that she had ended the relationship a month before the fire. She said Dosanjh had refused to accept the end of the relationship and had threatened her and damaged her car.

Dosanjh was sentenced to 14 years in prison, which equates to eight years and eight months after serving the sentence. He is now on probation, which allows offenders to serve the final third of their sentence in the community.

However, the parole board imposed a residency requirement on Dosanjh because of his violent past, his “crime-friendly” values ​​and behavior, the seriousness of his offense, and the risk he poses to future partners.

“You are found to be at high risk for domestic violence,” the July 31 decision said, adding that his risk appeared to have increased during his time in prison.

The committee said it had considered other means of dealing with the risk Dosanjh posed to society, including increased controls, curfews and special written instructions, but these were inadequate.

The panel found that Dosanjh, who lost family members in the war and lived in an orphanage until he was adopted by relatives, had a difficult childhood. He emigrated to Canada at age 11 and met his wife in her teens. The relationship was turbulent and marked by verbal and emotional abuse, the decision said.

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Dosanjh had a history of alcohol and drug use that appeared to continue during his time in prison. He was transferred from a medium-security prison to a maximum-security facility – once in 2020 for smoking shatter, a type of hashish oil, damaging property and threatening correctional officers, and again in 2023 after he was suspected of being involved in a drug and smuggling ring.

An update to his sentencing plan in March found that Dosanjh continues to require a high level of intervention and that most of his risk levels have not changed, with the exception of his risk related to substance abuse and negative associations, which has worsened.

His motivation for rehabilitation and his potential for reintegration into society remain low, the plan said, possibly influenced by an impending deportation order.

“Any successes you have achieved through programming have been overshadowed by your negative institutional behavior,” his case management team said.

Dosanjh must live in a community-based facility in the Lower Mainland for the duration of his release from prison and will not be entitled to vacation.

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Because there is a deportation order against him, he must contact the Canada Border Services Agency to obtain a work permit.

He is subject to further conditions. For example, he must report all intimate relationships, including friendships with women, to his probation officer, avoid contact with people with previous convictions, and not consume drugs or alcohol.

In recent victim impact statements, the family called for Dosanjh's deportation and a ban on contact with them.

The parole board has banned him from communicating with his victims and he is also banned from carrying weapons for life.

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