Robbery extortion eyed in Indian trader’s slay

Police are eyeing robbery-extortion as the motive behind the kidnap-slaying Sunday of an Indian trader in Antipolo City.

Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, Calabarzon police director said they are now hunting down a criminal group tagged by witnesses as behind the kidnap-slay of the victim, Davinder Singh, 37.

“My men are now out in the fields following up leads provided by witnesses and evidence found inside the abandoned getaway vehicle,” Padilla told The Star.

The Calabarzon police director said the extortion attempt on Singh ended in tragedy when the Indian national decided to fight back at his kidnappers.

Reports reaching Padilla showed that the Land Transportation Office certified that the black Mitsubishi Adventure (WTS 924) which was used by the suspects was a stolen vehicle.

“It was a plain robbery-extortion and not a kidnapping,” Padilla told The Star.

Singh and his wife Ak­winder Kuar were riding in tandem on a motorcycle and on their way to Angono, Rizal to collect a debt when the four armed suspects blocked their path along M.L Quezon street around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

The couple was forcibly dragged inside the van and the driver drove back towards Antipolo City proper. However, upon reaching Lores Subdivision Kuar was dropped on the side of the road and the vehicle continued moving towards the city.

Singh was found dead inside the abandoned van along Olivares street hours later. He was shot in the chin, the bullet exiting at his head.

Superintendent Danilo Ma­cerin, Antipolo City police chief said they already identified the suspects in Singh’s kidnap-slay. “We expect to make arrests any time soon,” he said.

Macerin had coordinated with officials of the associations of Indian lending businessmen to get some inputs with regard to the activities of Singh before he was killed, which he said, would greatly help them in their effort to solve the case.

The Antipolo City police chief strongly believed that it is just a plain robbery-extortion, however, the victim could have resisted his captors that led to his death. “Mala­mang nanlaban ang biktima sa mga taong dumukot sa kanya kaya pinatay siya,” Macerin said, adding that Singh was tall and heavily-built.