Santa Rosa man accused of killing sister-in-law to undergo competency review

Days before final trial preparations were to begin in the case of a Santa Rosa man accused of fatally stabbing his sister-in-law in 2022, the man’s defense attorneys voiced concerns about his competency.

If all had gone according to schedule, Varinder Singh’s trial readiness conference would have happened Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa. This would have been followed by final trial preparations beginning Friday.

However, on April 12, according to court records, Singh’s defense attorney, Allen Sawyer, questioned his client’s ability to assist in his own defense.

Proceedings have been suspended pending the outcome of an examination by a psychiatrist who has been ordered to turn in a report to the court by May 6, according to court records.

Singh is accused of stabbing Kuljeet Kaur 37 times on April 25, 2022 during some kind of fight that began inside their home on West Creek Lane and continued outside.

He is charged with one count of murder and a misdemeanor count of inflicting corporal injury, according to court records. Singh faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted as charged.

In June during Singh’s preliminary hearing, Santa Rosa police investigators testified the stabbings happened after Kaur confronted Singh about abusing her sister.

The sister, who was identified in court only as SK, had been married to Singh for three months at the time of the fatal confrontation between her husband and her sister.

Investigators testified Singh was a long-haul truck driver who had a bad temper and had threatened to kill family members in the past.

They said the killing occurred after the victim tried to convince her sister not to accompany Singh on an upcoming trip.

According to investigators, Singh attacked Kaur inside the home. The confrontation spilled into the street, where at least one neighbor was present.

Singh told the neighbor to go home, but he’d already witnessed enough of the attack, police testified in June.

According to additional testimony, Singh fled the scene in a BMW sedan, and investigators found him near Raley’s supermarket in northern Rohnert Park about 45 minutes after the incident.

Sonoma County jail records show Singh remains jailed without bail.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi