Gagandip Singh, 21, was lured to a house in Brighton by medical student Mundill Kaur Mahil and murdered by Harvinder Shoker and Darren Peters, who are friends of Mahil. Mahil, Shoker and Peters were convicted last week, and received lengthy terms in jail – Shoker got life in prison with no parole for 22 years, Peters received 12 years and Mahil got six years.
LONDON – Three people have been sentenced to lengthy terms in jail for the killing of a prominent Indian- origin television executive in 2011 in a sensational case in Britain.
Gagandip Singh, 21, was lured to a house in Brighton by medical student Mundill Kaur Mahil, 20, with whom he was in love. At the house, Singh was set upon by Mahil’s friends Harvinder Shoker, 20, and Darren Peters, 20.
Mahil, Shoker and Peters were convicted at the Old Bailey last week, and have now been sentenced to lengthy terms in jail for the killing of Singh, who was the chief executive officer of Sikh TV channel.
Mahil, who has been convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent, was given six years in a Youth Offenders Institute.
Shoker was found guilty of the murder, and was sentenced to life for murder and ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years. Peters was convicted of manslaughter, and received 12 years in a Youth Offenders Institute.
Singh’s body was discovered in the boot of his burning car in Blackheath during the early hours of February 26, 2011. The court was told that he was in love with Mahil.
However, they fell out in August 2010 following an incident in which she alleged she was sexually assaulted at the Brighton house she shared with other students.
Following that incident Mahil refused to speak to Singh despite numerous attempts by him to contact her. In the following months, Shoker entered Mahil’s life and he was also in love with her.
Mahil described him to friends as her ‘protector’ and told housemates that male friends of hers wanted to exact revenge on Singh but she would discourage them.
However on February 25, 2011, the police said that instead of discouraging anyone, she lured Singh to Brighton, suggesting a meeting at her house at 11 pm to clear the air.
Singh drove from his Bexleyheath home to Brighton, stopping at a service station to buy Mahil a teddy bear.
Lying in wait for him at the address was Shoker and Peters who had been collected from Brighton Railway Station by Mahil a few hours earlier. Singh was beaten unconscious, wrapped in a duvet and bundled into the boot of his own car.
Shoker and Peters then drove the car to Blackheath where they poured petrol over the car and Singh, who was unconscious but still alive.
The burning car caused a loud explosion and the London Fire Brigade were called to extinguish the flames. Fire fighters discovered Singh’s body in the car boot.
Mahil contacted the police the following day claiming to be concerned for a friend whom she had heard had committed suicide. She was arrested when detectives became concerned about her story and version of events leading to Singh’s death.
Detective Superintendent Damian Allain, said: “Throughout the investigation and trial Mahil portrayed herself as a victim, denying in any way that she had lured Gagandip to Brighton knowing Shoker and Peters were going to attack him.
At trial she claimed she had gone to police voluntarily to assist them in their investigation”. He added: “In fact under cross examination she was forced to admit having misled police.
She tried to divert blame to others, suggesting that all she had done was to lure him to what she explained was going to ‘a good talking to’ or a lecture about his future conduct and that at most he may have succumbed to a ‘slap or two'”.
In a statement after sentencing outside the court, Singh’s family said: “Words are not enough to express the great loss of our son and brother. On a day to day basis there is a gap in our lives and a sense of loneliness”.
