Victim’s family says man guilty of second-degree murder faked mental problems

Claims of hearing voices in his head didn’t stop a 55-year-old man from being convicted on two counts of second-degree murder, in the deaths of his estranged wife and her family friend over three years ago.

Hari Pal was also found guilty of aggravated assault on another woman in a Calgary courtroom Friday, after his week-long trial.

On May 4, 2011, Pal fatally stabbed his ex-wife Sanjula Devi and her friend Fahmida Velji-Visram at his Penbrooke home, a couple weeks after he and Devi were separated.

Court heard how two weeks before, Pal had grabbed Devi by the neck.

Velji-Visram’s brother Farouk said after the verdict that it was a bittersweet day, as he put his arm around his mother.

“I lost my sister, she lost her daughter, but at the same time we know justice is actually served and he’s guilty of what he did,” he said. “I was a little nervous, I don’t have any nails left.”

Devi, her daughter – who could not be named because of a publication ban – and Velji-Visram went to his home to gather their belongings after the separation, but shortly after they arrived, Pal stabbed Velji-Visram in the hallway twice.

Devi and her child went into the nine-year-old’s room to try and call police, but Pal broke in and demanded they get out.

As they tried to flee, Pal held Devi from behind and stabbed her a total of eight times.

When the first screams were heard from above, the landlord’s daughter Shalni Gill ran down to try and intervene, getting the young girl out of harm’s way and then tried to get Pal off of Devi.

Gill was stabbed in the shoulder in the process, with Pal eventually leaving the scene; the daughter was unharmed.

There had been delays in the trial getting underway as Pal was diagnosed with a mental illness that causes episodes of confusion, but some bizarre moments persisted during the week.

On Monday when he was asked for a plea, he said he didn’t know and had to be seen by a psychiatrist.

On Wednesday, he said he could still hear Devi’s voice in his head and that prevented him from processing information.

“In one word, it’s faking,” Farouk Velji said. “To plug your ears during court and not be cohesive and not go through the process of something you’ve done, something you’re supposed to pay for, it’s cowardly to me.”

Pal had no reaction at hearing his convictions.

“I looked him dead in the eyes and nothing, no remorse, no nothing,” Velji said.

The case will now move to sentencing and defense lawyer Andre Ouelette was asked if he plans to appeal.

“There may be one and I make a recommendation, but practically speaking depending on the effect of the sentence, there may be no point,” he said.

Ouelette said he’s not surprised at the verdict and it’s a horrible situation for all families involved.

As for his client’s mental health, Ouelette said at the time of the offence, there was no evidence of Pal being not criminally responsible.

“It’s clear though that from the time of the separation, my client had suffered greatly,” he said, referencing his client’s claim of hearing voices. “He’s clearly, severely impaired by his own actions and perhaps because of mental issues as well.”