Bizarre twist to Sikh youth murder in Peshawar story

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

In a bizarre twist to the murder story of a Sikh youth in Peshwar, the authorities now believe that it was a ‘contract killing’ involving the fiancee of the 25-year old Pakistani.

In a report today, The Express Tribune said the police had ‘cracked the mystery’ of the murder of Ravinder Singh, the brother of Pakistan’s first Sikh television anchor.

Quoting an unnamed senior security official, the newspaper said it was a “contract killing” allegedly paid for by Ravinder’s fiancé who didn’t want to marry him.

“She promised the hitmen Rs700,000 for Ravinder’s murder,” the newspaper quote the official. “Part of the committed money was paid in advance, while the rest had to be paid after the murder.”

It added that the investigation team said Ravinder was murdered in Mardan and later his body was shifted to Peshawar by the hitmen. Prem Kumari has been taken into custody at Mardan, one investigator told The Express Tribune.

The report also said that the media had earlier erroneously identified him as Parvender, saying he was in Peshawar for his wedding shopping.

Ravinder Singh had lived in Malaysia and had returned home for his wedding.

In an earlier report in another newspaper, the body of the victim, then identified as Parvender, was found on Sunday. An FIR had suggested that he had travelled to Peshawar to complete last-minute errands for his wedding, including buying gold.

Taking onto the social media, Harmeet had lambasted the authorities for not doing enough to protect the minorities. His brother’s murder came on the heels of a mob demonstration in front of Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, for which the perpetrator has now been arrested and booked.

The Peshawar incident had ignited a minor diplomatic row between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan taking exception to Indian media reports that had portrayed the incident as a religiously motivated “target killing” to malign Pakistan for alleged persecution of religious minorities, the newspaper noted.

The report said Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson had said on Monday: “Indian attempts to politicise the tragic killing of [the] Pakistani Sikh youth are mischievous and reprehensible.

“As this crime was reported, a case was registered immediately and a high-powered committee constituted to investigate the matter. The law will take its course and those responsible will be brought to justice.

“Rather than feigning any dishonest concern for minorities elsewhere, the BJP government would do better by focusing on the ongoing human tragedy at home and protecting India’s minorities from ‘Saffron terror’.”