Update on missing UK family: Chohan murder case takes mysterious turn
Patty
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_246225,00050003.htm
Chohan murder case takes mysterious turn
Vijat Dutt
London, May 4
Hindustan Times
Police looking for the missing family of Indian millionaire Amarjit Chohan, whose body was
found in the sea near Bournemouth pier, started digging for bodies in a remote part of the
West Country.
Specialist units were drafted to move into farmland near Tiverton, Devon, soon after a
floating corpse, later identified that of Chohan, was found by canoeists near the Pier on
April 22. The police could not immediately identify the body because it was in a highly
decomposed state.
Police now say Amarjit's remains had been buried on land owned by Belinda Brewin, best
friend of the late TV presenter Paula Yates, soon after his disappearance. It was then dug
up and dumped into the sea.
Detectives are apprehensive that his family may still be buried there.
The search in Devon has so far been concentrated on a group of farm buildings in Higher
Coleford, six miles from Tiverton. Officers have also been digging up the garden of
Belinda Brewin, a former assistant to Paula Yates.
Ms Brewin,41, had called the police when she recognised the face of a suspect flashed on
the TV. She feared that the suspect Ken Regan had buried the Chohans in her garden. She
had previously worked at his company with Regan who had helped to dig a drainage ditch at
her farmhouse in February. She is not a suspect.
Scotland Yard has now launched an international hunt for two men suspected of being
involved in Amarjit's killing and his family's disappearance. The Yard has brought in
Interpol to trace lorry driver Ken Regan, alias Ken Avery, 54, from Salisbury who worked
for Amarjit and William Horncy, travelling under the name of William Smith,51, from
Bournemouth.
The two suspects reportedly boarded a ship at Dover for France. The Yard has sought help
from the French police. Detective Chief Inspector Norman McKinley said, " I am satisfied
Ken Regan and William Horncy are involved in the murder of Amarjit Chohan and are also
involved in the disappearance of the missing members of Mr Chohan's family.
"They must be regarded as being dangerous and violent." Their pictures have been flashed
all over. Chohan, according to the police, met Regan eight years ago when the latter ran a
fruit-and-vegetable business. He later became Chohan's driver.
Chohan, regarded as cheerful and friendly man, ran a fruit-and-vegetable import company,
with a turnover of £4 million. A paper has now claimed that Amarjit was sentenced to three
years' jail in 1996 for 13 fraud offences involving import tax evasion at Jumbo Freight
Services, of which he was a director.
Police suspect that Amarjit's death might be linked to criminal activity run in parallel
with his legitimate business, possibly involving the smuggling of the stimulant drug, Qat,
into the US where it is banned.
Residents of Hounslow in west London, Amarjit and his family, wife Nancy, two young sons
Davinder and Ravinder and his mother-in-law, had suddenly gone missing on February 16.
Police were suspicious of foul play from the beginning because most of their belongings
were found at their house and no money had been drawn from their bank accounts.
But now it has been revealed that Amarjit disappeared while in Southampton on February16,
while his family vanished on the same day from their Hounslow house. Significantly one of
his cars was involved in an accident in Southampton.
But the two men in it, one English and the other Black, got away by giving false
information. The police apparently had until then no clue to connect it with the
disappearance of the family.
Police are working on the theory that Amarjit was importing goods illegally through his
firm CIBA freight and forging false names on official documents. But many questions
remain. The case might turn out to be weirder than any Agatha Christie mystery.
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Anne Warfield
This story adds a smidge more detail, but nothing really startling.
There's a very striking pictuer of Nancy Chohan at the URL below.
From the New Zealand Herald--
Missing family inquiry after body found in UK
05.05.2003
British police have launched a murder investigation after identifying
the body of a New Zealand man's dead millionaire brother-in-law.
New Zealander Onkar Verma flew to England in February to search for
his missing sister, Nancy Chohan, her husband, businessman Amarhit
Chohan, their two infant sons, and his mother, Charanhit Kaur.
The family have not been seen since about February 16.
Mr Verma spoke to his sister every day from his home in New Zealand
and became worried when contact suddenly stopped.
Mr Chohan's body was found close to Bournemouth pier in Dorset by a
canoeist on April 22, but was identified only on Thursday, police
said.
But detectives remained baffled over the whereabouts of the
46-year-old's wife, their two sons and Mrs Chohan's mother, all from
Hounslow, west London.
Scotland Yard said yesterday that a formal murder investigation had
begun and they wanted to speak to two men, one who worked for Mr
Chohan and his associate, about their investigation.
An initial autopsy had failed to establish a cause of death for Mr
Chohan.
Police said some of the family's clothing and personal effects were
missing from their house.
Mr Verma, 28, told BBC London he prayed for their safety and said he
had been very close to Mr Chohan.
"He treated me as his own brother. It is a big loss for me and I know
it is going to be a big loss for Nancy as well."
Mrs Chohan, 25, her sons Devinder, 17 months, and Ravinder, two
months, and her mother Charanjit Kaur, 51, have not been in contact
with relatives or friends.
A letter sent from Calais, France, apparently signed by Mr Chohan,
which said he was tired of life in England, was believed to be fake.
Detectives say the family car was involved in an accident in the
Southampton area a week after the family were last seen, but they did
not believe any family member was using it.
Mr Chohan was a successful businessman who built his company, CIBA
Freight, into a business which employs 30 people and has a $13 million
annual turnover. In the week the family disappeared, Mr Chohan signed
a power of attorney handing over control of the company to two
employees.
- NZPA
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3452649&thesection=news&thesubsection=general
--
Anne Warfield
indigoace at goodsol period com
http://www.goodsol.com/cats/
Bo Raxo
"Anne Warfield" <indi...@aolxxx.com> wrote in message
news:3eb95154...@news.earthlink.net...
> Hi Patty,
>
> This story adds a smidge more detail, but nothing really startling.
> There's a very striking pictuer of Nancy Chohan at the URL below.
> From the New Zealand Herald--
>
see if this helps make it a big story, at least in NZ.
Jagdeep Cruellruby
I wonder why he gave power of atty to two employees. I bet those two
are being thoroughly investigated. I also think the brother of the
missing woman, the guy from NZ, better watch his back. Sounds like
whoever did this (assuming all missing were killed) was trying to
wipe out a whole family, and while maybe keeping control of the
business somehow? Aiming for no heirs? Wonder if there were drug
shipments, the mob, anything like that? A whole family, just gone,
man. Chilling. I hope the mom and babies are in hiding, but doubt
it. Wouldn't she have called her brother in NZ?
JC
Patty
She is rather stunning. I wanted someone to follow the case with me
so I told an Indian woman at work about it. I've got someone
interested. So she said I think the wife looks English and her name
is Nancy but she's wearing Indian clothing. I said, "Look at her
mother's name, is that Indian?" She said yeah, that's an Indian name.
Then I found a picture of the brother on BBC and she said, "Well he's
definitely Indian." Also one article said that the husband was trying
to get his wife British citizenship right before his death. My Indian
coworker said punjabis often are lighter skinned. I was going to tell
her what Maggie had said about skin coloring and hereditary but we
never had time.
Know anything about the stimulant drug Qat? Why is it banned in the
USA and not in Great Britain and where is it made?
Patty
Anne Warfield
It could help. As Patty said, she does look very English, but with a
touch of exoticism. Very, very striking.
Anne Warfield
<jonesi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I wonder why he gave power of atty to two employees. I bet those two
>are being thoroughly investigated. I also think the brother of the
>missing woman, the guy from NZ, better watch his back. Sounds like
>whoever did this (assuming all missing were killed) was trying to
>wipe out a whole family, and while maybe keeping control of the
>business somehow? Aiming for no heirs? Wonder if there were drug
>shipments, the mob, anything like that? A whole family, just gone,
>man. Chilling. I hope the mom and babies are in hiding, but doubt
>it. Wouldn't she have called her brother in NZ?
I think she's dead, yes. It's possible that when the murder(s) took
out the husband, she and the children happened to be there as well,
and they were collateral damage. :(
Anne Warfield
>Know anything about the stimulant drug Qat? Why is it banned in the
>USA and not in Great Britain and where is it made?
>
>Patty
Part of the War on (Some) Drugs?
Patty
> Hi Patty,
>
> This story adds a smidge more detail, but nothing really startling.
> There's a very striking pictuer of Nancy Chohan at the URL below.
> From the New Zealand Herald--
>
got a picture of the brother. I was talking again to the Indian woman
at work and she told me that the mother's name is a Punjabi name.
Chohan is Indian but doesn't designate any region to her. She said
Verma is a common Indian name but Onker isn't a common first name.
Said it's not uncommon for families to not share same last name. Her
father and his brothers all have different last names. Said this
marriage was probably not arranged because of the difference in ages
25 and 46.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2453383a11,00.html
Kiwi pleads for help to find missing family
06 May 2003
A New Zealand man whose English family has disappeared, one of whom
was found brutally murdered, is pleading for information to help solve
the case.
Onker Verma, 28, flew to England after his in-laws suddenly vanished
from their home in Hounslow, southwest London, on February 16.
Mr Verma's brother-in-law Amarjit Chohan, 46, a wealthy haulage firm
owner, was found floating in the sea near Bournemouth last month.
He had suffered a violent death.
Mr Chohan's wife, Nancy Chohan, his mother-in-law Charanhit Kaur, and
two infant sons – 19-month-old Devinder and four-month-old
Ravinder – have not been seen since.
"If anybody has got any information about my missing family, my mother
and my sister and my nephews, they should come forward to trace my
family and help the police with their investigation," Mr Verma told a
press conference early today (NZ time).
"It's a very difficult time for me and for my family. I have got a
wife in New Zealand and she is co-operating a lot," he told reporters
at the Scotland Yard news conference.
"Normally the Chohan family is a very happy family. There was never
any sign of any trouble.
"My sister, she had a bubbly personality, she was very outgoing. My
brother-in-law, he was a nice person. My mother, she was a religious
lady," he said.
"I'm shocked at the news of my brother-in-law's death – that's a
big loss for me.
"But I'm still hopeful and I'm praying to God for my mother, my sister
and my two nephews that they return safe, alive and well."
Mr Verma's plea for information came as police named a third suspect
in the case.
He is Peter Douglas Rees, 38, who has links to the Hampshire and
Dorset area, said Detective Chief Inspector Norman McKinlay, of the
Metropolitan Police.
"At present we are unable to locate him. We do believe that he is
still in this country and he's a close associate of Ken Regan and
William Horncy," Mr McKinlay said.
Regan, 54, alias Ken Avery, and Horncy, 50, alias William Smith, who
both worked for Mr Chohan, are thought to have fled to France after
being seen boarding a ferry at Dover on Wednesday.
Mr McKinlay said the Metropolitan police were working with French
authorities to locate the pair.
"I would like to appeal for anyone who chartered a boat to the three
men, Regan, Horncy or Rees, during a period of February to April, in
particular in the south west coast of England – or did they loan
them a boat, or did they know if any of these three men have access to
a boat?"
In the week the family disappeared, Mr Chohan signed a power of
attorney handing over control of the company to two employees.
Mr Chohan's business, CIBA Freight Services, which employs 22 people
and has a turnover of up to £4 ($NZ11.53) million.
CIBA imports fruit and vegetables to England from Africa, and is also
involved in shipping the narcotic, qat, into the England.
Qat, although legal in England, can be mildly hallucinogenic and is
banned in the United States.
Regan was an truck driver and used to own another haulage firm. He has
known Mr Chohan for eight years and joined CIBA last year.
Mr Verma thinks CIBA has something to do with his family's
disappearance.
"That's all I can say at the moment. That's what the investigation is
really... that the selling of the business had something to do with
their disappearance."
Mr Chohan, whose body was found floating near Bournemouth, was buried
for a time in a field near Stoodleigh in mid Devon, police believe.
Although they say he suffered a violent death, a post mortem
examination could not pinpoint the exact cause, and another had been
scheduled for today.
Mr Chohan was last seen on February 21 in Southampton, when he was
trying to get rid of his Ford Escort car.
Mr McKinlay said a five-day scene examination in Devon had yielded " a
number of articles which we believe are connected to this
investigation.
"We are making inquiries, trying to identify items that have been
found in the trench at the dig site in Devon."
Police had also searched a number of addresses across England as part
of the investigation.
Jagdeep Cruellruby
"Patty" <eartha...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f0e77308.03050...@posting.google.com...
> indi...@aolxxx.com (Anne Warfield) wrote in message
news:<3eb95154...@news.earthlink.net>...
> > Hi Patty,
> >
> > This story adds a smidge more detail, but nothing really
startling.
> > There's a very striking pictuer of Nancy Chohan at the URL
below.
> > From the New Zealand Herald--
> >
> Thanks Anne. I found another article from another NZ source.
It's
> got a picture of the brother. I was talking again to the Indian
woman
> at work and she told me that the mother's name is a Punjabi name.
> Chohan is Indian but doesn't designate any region to her. She
said
> Verma is a common Indian name but Onker isn't a common first name.
> Said it's not uncommon for families to not share same last name.
Her
> father and his brothers all have different last names. Said this
> marriage was probably not arranged because of the difference in
ages
> 25 and 46.
*****So I suppose that Regan guy, who worked at CIBA and has fled to
France, was one of the employees to whom the dead owner signed over
power of atty? Wouldn't he or whoever was named as such expect
suspicion to be aroused?
JC
Annie
the wife and babies are alive and will be found.
I wonder if the husband became involved with organized crime, or if he
was a victim of greedy criminals in his employ. It would be doubly sad
if the husbands actions endangered the rest of the family.
Another poster asked about Qat. I remember seeing it in a travel show, I
think about Morocco. (It was a couple of years ago and my memory isn't
good.) IIRC, it comes in the form of green leaves, resembling tree
leaves. It's chewed and acts as a mild stimulant, as well as easing
hunger pains. I believe it stained the teeth which made it obvious who
chewed. It seemed like a rather minor vice, but the show commented on
how some of the impoverished young Arab men were spending money on it
which would have been better spent on food.
Annie
Bo Raxo
It's a leaf people chew, kind of Asia and the Middle East's answer to the
coca plant. Like chewing coca leaves, chewing Qat (or Khat) supresses
appetite and gives a mild high and energy similar to the way caffeine or
speed wire up the user. The effect is from some ephedrine-like compounds in
the stuff, the technical mumbo jumbo is that it contains cathine
(d-norisoephedrine), cathidine, and cathinine. Cathine is also one of the
alkaloids found in _Ephedra vulgaris_. It is fortunate, perhaps, that khat
is also very rich in ascorbic acid which is an excellent antidote to
amphetamine-type compounds. As someone who never took a chemistry class in
his life, I'll have to assume that's meaningful to somebody here.
To learn a whole lot more, go to
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Hornet/qat.html
Anne Warfield
>indi...@aolxxx.com (Anne Warfield) wrote in message news:<3eb95154...@news.earthlink.net>...
>> Hi Patty,
>>
>> This story adds a smidge more detail, but nothing really startling.
>> There's a very striking pictuer of Nancy Chohan at the URL below.
>> From the New Zealand Herald--
>>
>Thanks Anne. I found another article from another NZ source. It's
>got a picture of the brother. I was talking again to the Indian woman
>at work and she told me that the mother's name is a Punjabi name.
>Chohan is Indian but doesn't designate any region to her. She said
>Verma is a common Indian name but Onker isn't a common first name.
>Said it's not uncommon for families to not share same last name. Her
>father and his brothers all have different last names. Said this
>marriage was probably not arranged because of the difference in ages
>25 and 46.
Many thanks, Patty!
Anne Warfield
wrote:
Thanks, Annie! More credit should go to Patty, though. :) She
posted a couple of more articles as well yesterday.
I'd really like if his wife and children were still alive, but I don't
think they are.
shobha...@gmail.com
His Two doughters and Son live in Croydon with their mother Sweety chohan. Who is now a Christian and goes to VPA Church service in Barkingside.
The Son is now 28 year old,has learning difficulties. And is on facebook.
shobha...@gmail.com
He is highly educated. But talks and behaves like a 5 year old. Comes visiting me when he runs away from his mother.