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Millionaire California Doctor Murdered

R S Shankar

About 10 years ago, the flamboyant owner of the male stripper club, Chippendale's, was accused, among many things, of attempting to have Jagjit Singh Sehdeva, a well-known physician, murdered.

In evidence presented to the court in 1993, club owner Somen "Steve" Banerjee of Playa del Rey in California was accused of the murder plot.

Though the indictment did not explain why Dr Sehdeva, who also had invested a few millions in real estate and nightclubs, was targeted, there were hints of a business dispute between Banerjee and Dr Sehdeva.

Banerjee who pleaded guilty to a 1987 murder was found dead in his jail cell in 1994 before he could start a 26-year prison sentence. He had apparently killed himself.

Dr Sehdeva, known as Dr Joe to his American friends, continued with his practice, businesses and his involvement with the Rotary Club in his affluent town. He was actively involved in supporting an orphanage in Mexico run with the help of his town's Rotary Club. Dr Sehdeva had been involved with Rotarians for over 25 years.

Early this week, Dr Sehdeva was found murdered in his sprawling Playa del Rey estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean -- and this time there are no suspects. The maid who was at home at the time of the murder has told the police that burglars entered the house, tied her up, and stole a safe cabinet.

Sixty-year-old Jagjit Singh Sehdeva was shot to death about 2120 hours on Tuesday. Despite a huge and well-publicized drive, no arrests had been made till Friday, and the police would not discuss if they had any leads.

Patiala-born Dr Sehdeva, a vascular and thoracic surgeon, shared an office near his home with his wife, Parkash, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Despite their wealth, the Sehdevas were known for their simplicity and willingness to get involved in social causes.

Playa del Rey neighbors told reporters that a spurt of armed robberies and at least one follow-home robbery a few years ago prompted them to get a private security service to monitor their area.

But Edward Moore, owner of Security Service Systems, said Dr Sehdeva used to leave his alarm off when he was home, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We didn't get an alarm last night," Moore said.

One longtime friend and patient of Dr Parkash Sehdeva said she had been working at a hospital at the time of her husband's murder, according to the newspaper.

The murder was unfair to all involved, said Imelda Lopez, whose two children were delivered by Dr Parkash Sehdeva. "These people were givers of life, not takers of life," she said.

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