A Sikh is a follower of Sikism, a religion that originated in the Punjab region of India in the 1500s. There are about 500,000 Sikhs residing in the United States.
Shivinder Singh Grover and his family were active members of suburban Atlanta's Sikh community of a thousand worshipers. The 52-year-old father of two had graduated from the University of Michigan and was an executive with one of the technology companies headquartered in the city's northern suburbs. His 47-year-old wife, Damanjit Kaur Grover, worked for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. The Grover family resided in a gated apartment community in Johns Creek, Georgia, a town 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
One of Mrs. Grover's co-workers, at eleven o'clock in the morning of Monday, February 4, 2013, became concerned when Damanjit, a reliable employee, didn't show up at the office. After her phone calls to the Grover home went unanswered the co-worker called the Johns Creek Police Department and requested a welfare check at the Grover apartment.
Later that morning, after breaking into the apartment, Johns Creek officers made a gruesome discovery. Officers found Damanjit dead from head wounds caused by a blunt object. The Grover children, Gurtej, aged 5, and Sartaj, 12, had fatal knife wounds in their necks. Shivinder, the presumed murderer of his family, had hanged himself.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office labeled these deaths a case of murder-suicide. Investigators looked at computer files for a suicide note or something that suggested a reason behind the killings. They found nothing instructive.
A friend of Mr. Grover's, in speaking to a reporter with a church-related publication, said, "Shivinder was a very respectful person. He talked respectfully to everybody. He was not a person who had any animosity, anxiety, or depression."
Shivinder Singh Grover's murder of his family and himself shocked his friends, colleagues and family. No one saw this coming and no one had a clue as to what drove this man of quiet intelligence and apparent stability to commit such a violent, unspeakable act. (Some of Mr. Grover's friends wondered if the family had been murdered by an outsider. There was, however, no official investigation into that possibility.)
Shivinder Singh Grover and his family were active members of suburban Atlanta's Sikh community of a thousand worshipers. The 52-year-old father of two had graduated from the University of Michigan and was an executive with one of the technology companies headquartered in the city's northern suburbs. His 47-year-old wife, Damanjit Kaur Grover, worked for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. The Grover family resided in a gated apartment community in Johns Creek, Georgia, a town 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
One of Mrs. Grover's co-workers, at eleven o'clock in the morning of Monday, February 4, 2013, became concerned when Damanjit, a reliable employee, didn't show up at the office. After her phone calls to the Grover home went unanswered the co-worker called the Johns Creek Police Department and requested a welfare check at the Grover apartment.
Later that morning, after breaking into the apartment, Johns Creek officers made a gruesome discovery. Officers found Damanjit dead from head wounds caused by a blunt object. The Grover children, Gurtej, aged 5, and Sartaj, 12, had fatal knife wounds in their necks. Shivinder, the presumed murderer of his family, had hanged himself.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office labeled these deaths a case of murder-suicide. Investigators looked at computer files for a suicide note or something that suggested a reason behind the killings. They found nothing instructive.
A friend of Mr. Grover's, in speaking to a reporter with a church-related publication, said, "Shivinder was a very respectful person. He talked respectfully to everybody. He was not a person who had any animosity, anxiety, or depression."
Shivinder Singh Grover's murder of his family and himself shocked his friends, colleagues and family. No one saw this coming and no one had a clue as to what drove this man of quiet intelligence and apparent stability to commit such a violent, unspeakable act. (Some of Mr. Grover's friends wondered if the family had been murdered by an outsider. There was, however, no official investigation into that possibility.)
Gurtej was actually only 5 and a Kindergartener at our local elementary school. We're all anxious to know more about what led to this tragedy.
ReplyDeleteSomething doesn't add up. I hope police are looking at all angles including a hate crime (why was the door to the apartment open?). There has been precious little information about the case. I hope that the police is still investigating it and the ball doesn't get dropped because it is a minority killing.
ReplyDeleteI hope police are investigating all angles including a hate crime. There has been precious little information on this case and I hope that the ball doesn't get dropped since it is a minority killing.
ReplyDeleteIt is unbelievable what the press has reported. Shivinder was a highly educated, intellectual person. Studied in the best institutions. A very caring, family man. This is unthinkable. Police needs to investigate further. He was my high school buddy - I knew him well. This is very, very tragic.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree.. He was very kind and family oriented. He is highly intellect, and class act..
DeleteIt looks obvious by the story that no investigation into anything other than what looked apparent was going to be done. Georgia does not want to spend more time and end up boosting numbers in hate crimes. In my opinion Atlanta has the worst investigators in the Southeast. The people are most unethical and in three decades of law enforcement experience I am ashamed if these agencies.
DeleteI knew them as well. My daughter has know Gurtej for 3 years. They attended daycare together and they were friends. I spoke to Shivinder all the time when he came to pick the kids up from daycare. This is unbeliveable and tragic, I would never have thought he could kill his family. Many of us who have know the family for years hope that they will eventually tell us the motive. Unfortunatly, now matter the motive, it won't bring them back and they are missed by so many. I would very much like to believe that Shivinder did not kill his family, but from what has been said and reported it seems to be true. I think the police were careful not to give details until the crime scene was processed and the autopsy results were back. IF there were any signs of an intruder I think they would have left it open. You never really know what is happening in the lives of others. I am very, very sad.
ReplyDeleteThe police must do a thorough investigation to rule out any hate-crime murder, or any other kind of an involvement of an outsider for some reason.
DeleteIt is gruesome tragedy that shivinder killed his own family he loved all these years. No body can believe that he did. How can he kill two cut and innocent kids 5 and 12. The more I think the more I cry for these two little children who are adorable.How can he do this and why?. there must be a reason to kill anybody like this. so cruel.May god bless them and forgive father and embrce mother and CHILDREN . I
ReplyDeletepray to god to forgive and make them to be in heaven
We all truly miss them. Please co-operate with police and help them in investigating. The truth should come out.something is unclear and missing here.
Who has standing to investigate the investigation? It is sad but true that a family like this generally can not rely on garnering due respect or sympathy for a proper investigation.
ReplyDeleteMurder happened two weeks back. But no clue
ReplyDeleteuntil now. The whole family died and buried on 7th feb. What would be the motive behind these gruesome killings. Is this the justice done to their family.and after few days everything will be forgotten and normal again.
Please, do proper justice and save other families too who are in trouble.what about their
old parents., They might be in depresion.pray for them too.
God bless all the souls with peace, eternal bliss and a new life in which they learn the real religion values - which means union with god, god bless them all with the next human life with the gurparsaad of naam, naam simran, naam di kamai, puran bandgi and seva.
ReplyDeletewhen family person does this.. he is worst than a terrorists. please take help of therapists or true family members before killing the small innocent souls..
ReplyDeletewhat you said, is absolutely true. How could he do this without any humanity. children are very cute and innocent. whenever I recollect the incident,
ReplyDeleteI cry like anything for children sake.
Truly, very very sad incident ever heard.
Why did you allow Shivinder Singh Grover to have a funeral with the wife and sons he killed? That is just totally wrong. He is a murderer and should not have been allowed his victims ever again.
ReplyDeleteIt seems he was being treated for schizophrenia related depression. Maybe the drugs had an effect. Need to investigate which drugs were being prescribled, and may have caused this gentleman to suddenly commit such violence.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the truth he was suffering from schizophernia
ReplyDeleteThen we all really pity him. why did they hide this all these days. and why his wife did not take proper care . may be she did not expect this tragedy.why did he kill his children first then his wife?. so many questions arise, but no proper answers. really so bad luck to the lovely family. may god bless their souls and love them
His linked in profile says he is VP at Novartis, but I also read in news he worked for Siemens. Which one is true? Was there a reason for him to be depressed?
ReplyDeleteIf he is suffering from Schizophernia then I would think that when he killed himself, he was not in that state. he probably realized what a horrible mistake he comitted and felt that he needed to take his own life
I had moved from Michigan and just found out about this a couple days back and am so sad to hear this. I knew Shiv for over 15 years in Michigan. A highly intelligent individual with the best of education, work experience IIT-Kanpur, MS-Ohio State, MBA, Univ of Michigan. Supervisor at a early age in 90's at Ford, then MacKinsey, then VP, Novartis. More than anything he was the most humble, caring and warm individual. Something does not add up after knowing him for so long since 1990. Can anyone share what really caused all this ?
ReplyDeleteHe was my colleague and a mentor at Ford, we did take a couple of MBA classes together. He was an inspiration to do MBA. I am sad to hear about it. He was one of the most humble and gentleman I have come across in my life
ReplyDeletehttp://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2017/01/mary-han-new-mexico-at-last-there-could.html
ReplyDeleteMurder can be made to look like suicide. This story link involves a dead attorney who sued police and whose crime scene high ranking police destroyed