Jignasa Sinha
An Indian man who allegedly killed an Australian woman in 2018 was arrested in Delhi on Friday after fleeing the country, police said.
A $1 million reward was announced for information on 38-year-old Rajwinder Singh. Investigators said he killed his victim, 24-year-old Toya Cardingley, after the woman’s dog barked at him.
Rajwinder Singh, who was arrested from North Delhi’s GT Karnal Road, was produced before the court for extradition proceedings.
Investigators said Rajwinder Singh frequently changed his appearance and whereabouts to avoid arrest. Toya Cardingley was killed on October 21, 2018 while walking her dog alone on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns in Queensland state. Her body was found 12-16 hours later by her father and the police. It was reported that the body was “half-buried” in the sand and had “visible and violent” injuries. She was allegedly strangled to death. According to reports, Toya Cardingley was a pharmacy worker and worked at an animal welfare center.
Delhi Police interrogated Rajwinder Singh and said he had gone to the beach after an argument with his wife. He had a kitchen knife and some fruit.
According to investigators, Toya Cardingly’s dog barked at Rajwinder Singh, which angered him and led to an argument. He allegedly stabbed her multiple times, buried her body in the sand, tied the dog to a tree and returned to the home in Innisfail. There, he took his passport and left for India on October 23, 2018.
Sources said Rajwinder Singh, who worked as a nurse in Australia, was identified as a suspect after scanning the CCTV footage in the Cairns area. He became a “suspect” because he was found near a beach far from his residence.
Rajwinder Singh fled Australia leaving behind his wife and three children as Queensland police began searching.
In March 2021, Australian authorities approached Indian police to hand over the prime suspect. Interpol issues Red Corner Notice against Rajwinder Singh. Indian officials approved the request in November.
In India, the Punjab police were looking for him. But he kept changing hideouts. At one point, he was staying at a gurdwara as a sevadar, investigators said.
On November 4, the Australian Embassy announced a $1-million reward for information leading to his arrest. Queensland police also released footage of Rajwinder Singh walking around the airport.
A Delhi Police spokesperson said: Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against Rajwinder Singh. CBI and Interpol were involved in this. They issued a non-bailable warrant against Rajwinder Singh under the Extradition Act on November 21 in the Patiala House Court.
After receiving information from the CBI and other agencies, the Delhi Police launched a search operation.
“While he was not in touch with his family, he was in touch with some friends, so we were able to keep him under surveillance,” an official said.
“Around 6 am on Friday, based on information shared by the CBI, Interpol and the Australian Police, an intelligence-based operation led to the arrest of the accused. He was arrested from GT Karnal Road in North Delhi. He is being produced before the relevant court as per law for further action,” said a Delhi Police spokesperson. The team that caught him included Inspectors Vikram Dahiya and Nishant Dahiya.
Police sources said that Rajwinder Singh will be extradited to Australia in connection with this case. Rajwinder Singh hails from Butter Kalan in Moga, Punjab and migrated to Australia two decades ago.
“He is not in touch with his wife or children. His parents live in Punjab but we have found that he is not in touch with them. He often changed his hideouts in Punjab and Delhi. He was in transit in North Delhi when our team arrested him. He changed his appearance to avoid arrest. He has been produced in court and is being questioned,” police sources said.
Police sources suspect that the accused may have come to India and started living in Punjab. “Queensland police officers also came to India last year when the Australian Federal Police contacted the government. Inquiries have been conducted and we have started a door-to-door verification process in Rajwinder Singh’s village to trace him,” the source said. When he was arrested, Rajwinder Singh was seen wearing a turban and a beard.
Following the arrest, Queensland Police Commissioner Katrina Carroll told the media: “Toya’s body was reported missing in October 2018 and was found on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns… The man (Rajwinder Singh) had avoided staying in the Punjab region of India since traveling to the country on October 23, 2018. believed to have arrived. I am very happy that even though it has been four years, we can now make further progress in bringing her family closer.”
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