A 29-year-old Indian national wanted in connection with the double murder of Rajinder Singh, 47, and Gurmit Singh, 48, as well as the attempted murder of Suchet Singh, all Indian citizens, has been located in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The first two victims were shot and killed outside the Sikh cultural centre 'Gurudwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji' in Covo (Bergamo) on 17 April, during preparations for the traditional Vaisakhi festival.
The Bergamo Carabinieri had established that the now-arrested 29-year-old had arrived at the scene in his car and, after approaching the group of fellow nationals, had opened fire before abandoning the vehicle in Calcio. Investigations revealed that the crime had its roots in a dispute over the management of the cultural centre.
After fleeing Italy, the suspect had taken refuge first in France and then in the United Kingdom. His arrest was the result of cooperation between the Carabinieri and British police forces. The man is currently being held in prison in England pending extradition.
Investigations continue in search of accomplices
Following the arrest of the 29-year-old, investigations are continuing to determine whether anyone helped the man flee Italy after the double murder and travel first to France and then to England, where he was detained last Wednesday. According to the reconstruction by the Carabinieri's Investigative Unit in Bergamo, working under the coordination of the Prosecutor's Office, the ambush stemmed from internal disputes within the Sikh community over the control and management of the cultural centre.
Tensions had developed particularly between the faction associated with the victims and a group based in the Antegnate area, and had progressively intensified during the renewal of the cultural association's governing bodies, giving rise to violent arguments, threats and mutual complaints. The investigation made use of footage from surveillance systems, witness interviews, and the results of a series of searches and inquiries involving members of the Sikh community in the lower Bergamo area.
The location and arrest of the 29-year-old were made possible through cooperation between Italian and British judicial authorities and coordination between their respective police forces, facilitated through the international cooperation channels SIRENE and ENFAST. The former ensures the exchange of supplementary information and operational coordination between national authorities in the context of international searches, while the latter — the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams, supported by Europol — connects police units specialised in locating and apprehending the most dangerous fugitives.
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