GEORGE TOWN, April 2 — The Sikh woman who died after she was allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend, was buried in accordance with Muslim rites at the Jelutong Muslim Cemetery yesterday.
Penang Islamic Department director Zulkifli Long confirmed that K. Surinder Kaur Bedi was buried in accordance with Muslim rites, which was witnessed by her family members.
“We conducted the Muslim burial rites for her in accordance with the family’s wishes,” he said when contacted.
He refused to respond when asked if Surinder’s name was registered as a Muslim convert.
Controversy over the 37-year-old cook’s religion arose after she passed away from her injuries at about 5am yesterday.
Her brother, Imran Khan Mohamad Qurban Ali, lodged a police report at 9.15am yesterday to claim that Surinder had recited the kalimah syahadah twice before him and their mother before she died.
In his report, he had asked that the Penang Islamic Department arrange for Surinder’s burial to be in accordance with Muslim rites.
Following that, the Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor issued an official letter to confirm that Surinder had converted to Islam.
“The deceased’s brother, Imran Khan, came to the state mufti department yesterday morning to inform me and another department officer that his sister, Surinder, had converted to Islam,” Wan Salim said.
“Based on his statement and without prejudice, we decided to accept what he said and agreed to issue an official letter to state that the deceased had converted to Islam,” he said.
However, Surinder’s conversion was disputed by the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia Penang branch members.
The association’s spokesman, Naamjit Singh, said there was no official documentation to prove that Surinder had converted to Islam just hours before she died.
The group also lodged a police report at about 7pm yesterday asking the police to investigate Surinder’s alleged conversion before she died.
“We want proof that she had converted, not just what the brother claimed and told the mufti, we want to see actual documentation to prove her conversion,” he said when contacted.
Surinder was brought to the hospital in critical condition late Saturday night after an altercation with her 55-year-old boyfriend.
The couple were allegedly drinking while walking along Persiaran Bayan Indah before an argument broke out between them.
Police believed that the man had hit Surinder with a helmet.
She was found lying unconscious on the ground when police arrived at the scene and immediately sent to Penang Hospital.
The doctors initially told the police that Surinder only had a 50 per cent chance of surviving but she passed away from her injuries yesterday morning.
