BAKERSFIELD, CA — A Kern County court has sentenced the final defendant connected to the shocking 2018 killing of a newborn whose remains were discovered buried in the backyard of a southwest Bakersfield residence.Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann received a six-year prison sentence after pleading no contest last year for his involvement in the case. The court also granted him credit for time already served. Mann had remained a fugitive for a period before Canadian authorities captured him in 2021.
Prosecutors said the case began in November 2018 when investigators discovered that a newborn child had been killed and secretly buried behind a family home. Authorities alleged that the baby’s grandmother, Beant Kaur Dhillon, drowned the infant shortly after birth.
According to prosecutors, Dhillon told investigators she acted because she feared her teenage unmarried daughter’s pregnancy would bring shame and dishonor to the family. She was later convicted and sentenced in 2021 to 25 years to life in prison.
The child’s grandfather, Jagsir Singh, was also charged in connection with the investigation. Police said Singh claimed he was not present during the birth or killing but later learned what had happened. Investigators said he allowed the baby’s body to be buried in the backyard and failed to seek medical assistance for his daughter because he feared losing his home, his marriage, and possible immigration consequences.Singh faced charges including aiding a felon, felony child abuse, and conspiracy. However, before the case reached trial, he died by suicide in March 2019.With Mann’s sentencing, authorities have now concluded the criminal proceedings involving the remaining defendant in one of Kern County’s most disturbing child death investigations.