Gurjant Singh, a 28-year-old Indian national accused of shooting two men dead outside a Sikh temple in Italy, had been living in Britain after the Home Office granted him the right to be here. Singh, who worked as a handyman in the West Midlands, is alleged to have been the assassin who gunned down Rajinder Singh, 47, and Gurmit Singh, 48, outside a gurdwara in Covo, a small town near Bergamo, in April. A third man was slightly injured during the attack.
Alleged shooting and escape
Italian investigators claim Singh fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene in a car. The double murder took place in front of witnesses and was captured on CCTV cameras on the eve of Vaisakhi, the Punjabi new year. Singh is then alleged to have escaped to France before returning to his home in the West Midlands, where he lives with his wife.
The Express can reveal that Singh, an Indian national, was granted indefinite leave to remain in Britain three years ago and worked here as a handyman. He has the right to live, work, study and claim benefits in the UK without any restrictions.
Feud over temple control
The April killings in Italy were said to be part of a bitter succession feud over control of the Mata Sahib Kaur Ji gurdwara. One of the victims, Rajinder Singh, is understood to be a former president of the temple and had previously clashed with a rival faction over succession plans. His son told police that his father had previously been threatened with a gun near the gurdwara last November, and a police report was filed at the time.
Arrest and extradition
Two men were arrested in Italy the day after the shootings. But police believe Singh was the gunman, and an investigating judge at the Court of Bergamo issued an international arrest warrant for his capture. He was arrested in July by officers from the National Extradition Unit during a swoop on his car along the M6, just outside Birmingham.
During his first extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, Singh indicated that he would contest his removal, claiming he faced danger if he was returned to Italy. He was remanded in custody after his arrest and later consented to his extradition to Italy last month. A fortnight ago, Singh was accompanied by Italian police on a flight to Rome from Heathrow to face trial for the executions. He was then transferred to Rebibbia prison in Rome.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said it does not comment on individual cases. They added: “We will do everything in our power to remove foreign criminals from British soil. More than 80,000 illegal migrants and foreign national offenders have been returned since this Government took office, a 52% increase.”
