'He's given her back to me in a box'

KINGSTON, Ontario, July 25 (UPI) -- A relative says an Afghan immigrant to Canada charged with killing his three daughters and first wife was angry they had adopted western-style dress.

Mohammed Shafi, his second wife, Tooba, and his son, Hamed, 18, were charged this week with conspiracy to murder. The bodies of Shafi's first wife, Rona Mohammed, and his daughters were found June 30 in a car in 10 feet of water in a canal lock at Kingston Mills.

Wali Abdali, Mohammed's brother, told The Kingston Whig-Standard Shafi had often been violent with his sister. He said Shafi took a second wife because Mohammed was unable to have children but refused her a divorce.

"I gave him a pretty young woman 30 years ago who was healthy and beautiful and now he's given her back to me in a box," he said.

Abdali, who lives in France, spoke to the newspaper by telephone. He said when he talked to his brother-in-law a few weeks ago Shafi was angry because Mohammed and the three teenagers were going out unveiled, wearing skirts and tops with short sleeves and taking snapshots of each other in those clothes.

Shafi complained his first wife had "gone very bad," Mohammed said.