Mother pleads for return of body of Indian woman killed as she slept in London

Man charged with murder after Kirandeep Kaur was allegedly stabbed while in bed with husband and baby

The family of a woman who was killed as she slept in bed with her husband and three-month-old baby have said they want justice, and for her body to be returned to India.

A man has been charged with murder over the attack on Kirandeep Kaur at her home in Hayes, west London, on the morning of 12 July. Kaur, who had reportedly been living in the UK since 2024 on a student visa, allegedly suffered a stab wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 8.26am.

Speaking from India to ITV News, her mother, Baljeet, said: “We send them somewhere safe to study, then this happens. We didn’t realise hooliganism and violence is happening there too. We want justice. We want our daughter’s body returned from Hayes.”

Kaur’s brother Gurvinder Singh said the family had found out only on Friday that she had died. “We were shocked. We don’t understand what we can do.”

Singh said the family did not have anyone who could bring Kaur’s body back home to their village in Punjab.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall gurdwara to help raise money for funeral arrangements for Kaur, the repatriation of her body to India, and for her family. As of Monday morning it had raised more than £55,000.

On Thursday 16 July, a court heard prosecutors accuse Daniel Sean James, 46, of breaking into the family home and stabbing Kaur to death. The Old Bailey was told of allegations that James had also stabbed a man in his 20s in the back on a nearby street shortly before, and that he had been a complete stranger to both people.

The Old Bailey was told that James, from Pinner in north-west London, left the Kaurs’ home two minutes later by jumping out of a window from the kitchen-living-room area. Having broken both ankles, he allegedly tried to flee but collapsed after 10 metres, the court heard.

James has been charged with Kaur’s murder, as well as attempted murder and possessing a blade. Judge Lickley set a plea hearing for 1 October and a provisional three-week trial from 5 April next year.