`Snake on a Plane' Murder Defendant To Face Music At Long Last

Seems like a decade ago that we wrote about the murder of 30-year-old Navneet Kaur, the estranged Ahwatukee wife of Avtar Grewal. We called the story "Snake on a Plane," referring to Mr. Grewal's midnight escape to India on a Continental Airlines flight. Here it is, The native of India...

By Paul Rubin

September 20, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

Seems like a decade ago that we wrote about the murder of 30-year-old Navneet Kaur, the estranged Ahwatukee wife of Avtar Grewal.

We called the story "Snake on a Plane," referring to Mr. Grewal's midnight escape to India on a Continental Airlines flight.

Here it is,

The native of India was detained in his home country after the plane landed in March 2007, thus beginning a tortured legal process that slinked its way through that labyrinth known as the Indian court system.

Needless to say, Grewal fought extradition tooth and nail, and his attorneys alleged at one point that Ms. Kaur's father--a retired cop--had "forcibly obtained" a written murder confession from his son-in-law.

Finally, Avtar Grewal has been extradited to Arizona, and will have his day at long last in a Maricopa County courtroom. He is being held without bond at the Fourth Avenue Jail.

Grewal is looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars should he be convicted of first-degree murder, an eminently possible scenario.

The "Snake on a Plane" has landed.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.