Horror in Hounslow: The Chohan Family Case
In 2003, a London family of five disappeared overnight. What followed was one of Britain’s shoddiest investigations.
It was mid-February 2003. Journalist Onkar Verma sat in his New Zealand home, missing his family. His sister Nancy lived in Hounslow, West London, with her husband, Amarjit, and two sons, 18-month-old Devinder and 2-month-old Ravinder. They talked all the time, but his phone hadn’t rung in days.
Verma was becoming anxious. Nancy had called him a few days earlier, worried about her husband’s whereabouts. When she asked company staff why he hadn’t returned home, they told her he had flown to the Netherlands. Amarjit later messaged her: “Hello, Nancy. Don’t panic. I’m okay.” But her husband never messaged her in English. He also didn’t have his passport with him. She shared all these suspicions with her brother.
Worried, Verma called the police to check on the Chohan home. The police found it empty and refused to investigate further. Unsatisfied, Verma flew to London himself. But, once he arrived on March 5, the reality was far more sinister than he could have ever imagined.