Dead Indian Australian woman 'hid relationship' with her eventual murderer, claims father

Brisbane, Aug.17 (ANI): An Indian Australian woman, who was found dead in her Brisbane home, is said to have lied repeatedly to her family about her ongoing relationship with her alleged murderer, a court has been told.

Vijay Singh today told the Brisbane Magistrates Court he had not approved of his 24-year-old daughter Neelma's relationship with Max Sica in the months leading up to her death.

Neelma Singh and her siblings Kunal Singh, 18 and Sidhi Singh, 12, were found dead in their home in the outer Brisbane suburb of Bridgeman Downs in April 2003.

Sica, 39, has been charged with their murders.

According to news.com.au, Singh told the court he had frowned upon the relationship because his Hindu culture forbade women from dating men they did not intend to marry.

The court was told Neelma had subsequently hidden her relationship with Sica from her father.

In the weeks prior to her death, Neelma had been secretly living with Sica at Bribie Island while her father thought she was working in Dubai, the court heard.

Under cross-examination, Singh accepted defence barrister Sam Di Carlo's proposition that Neelma was a great disappointment to him.

"Did you see your daughter as an enormous letdown to your culture and your faith ... and your high moral standards?" Mr Di Carlo asked.

"Of course, I felt hurt, really hurt, that my daughter's lied to me," Singh said. (ANI)