A High Court jury in Dunedin, New Zealand, has found 35-year-old Rajinder guilty of murdering 27-year-old Gurjit Singh, bringing a harrowing case to a close nearly a year after the fatal attack.
As per RNZ report, the jury delivered its verdict about 24 hours after retiring, including an overnight break. Rajinder, who is referred to by a single name in court documents, remained expressionless as Justice Rachel Dunningham read the verdict.
Gurjit Singh, an Indian-origin Dunedin-based technician, was discovered unresponsive and covered in blood outside his Liberton home on 28 January 2024. He had been stabbed 47 times and partially decapitated.
Speaking outside court, Singh’s father, Nishan Singh, described his son as “honest and hard-working” and expressed hope that justice would provide some peace for his family. He said through a translator:
“Rajinder had killed my son. I know this will not bring him back, but at least justice has been served.”
The family believes a rejected marriage proposal from Rajinder to a woman who later married Gurjit Singh may have been a factor in the killing. Nishan Singh added,
“I hope he someday confesses why he did it, and that will give me more peace in life.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh, who led the investigation, called the murder “tragic and senseless” and praised the thorough work of nearly 80 police staff. “It got the right result,” he said.
During the three-week trial, the court heard that Rajinder purchased gloves, a knife, and a scarf before the attack, and DNA evidence tied him to the scene. The Crown argued that Rajinder lied to police multiple times and left forensic evidence linking him directly to Singh’s murder.
Prosecutor Richard Smith highlighted the brutality of the attack and the premeditated nature of the crime. As per RNZ, Smith told the jury:
“His blood and hair at the scene, the hair in the victim’s hands, the thumb of the glove left behind—these point directly to him. Apply your common sense; it’s not rocket science.”
Rajinder’s defence, led by Anne Stevens KC, denied he had any motive and challenged the reliability of the DNA evidence. She also questioned the Crown’s theory that jealousy over a rejected marriage proposal could have triggered the killing, calling it “implausible” and a “fantasy of the Crown.”
The victim’s widow, Kamaljeet Kaur, was preparing to move to New Zealand to start a new life with Gurjit Singh when he was killed. The court heard that Rajinder had previously been approached for marriage via a matchmaker but that Gurjit had married Kaur instead.
Rajinder, who did not give evidence in his defence, remains in custody and will be sentenced on 1 April. Nishan Singh and the family hope he receives a life sentence.
“This has ruined not just our lives but his family’s as well,” Nishan Singh said.
“I just hope he someday explains why he did it, and that will give me some peace.”
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