Indian with $1 million bounty on his head for Australian girl murder arrested in Delhi

Rajwinder Singh, the 38-year-old nurse, who is accused of “brutally” and “sadistically” murdering a young Australian woman Toyah Cordingley on a beach in Queensland back in 2018, has been nabbed by the Delhi police on Friday (November 25) bringing a four year hunt to a close.

The Queensland police, “determined” to track down the alleged killer and bring closure for the victim’s family, had on November 3 announced a million dollar bounty if anyone could give information about Singh, who had absconded to India. According to the police, this is the largest ever reward offered by the Queensland police.

The Queensland police told international media that Singh will now face an extradition court hearing soon and will be brought to Australia to face criminal proceedings.

Also read: Aus police offer record $1 million reward for Indian suspect in murder case

Singh left behind his job, wife and their three children when he fled Australia hours after 24-year-old Toyah’s body was discovered. He was pictured at Sydney’s international airport.

“We know that Singh departed Cairns on October 22, the day after Toyah was murdered, and then flew from Sydney to India on the 23rd. His arrival in India has been confirmed,” a Queensland police officer was quoted as saying by PTI on November 3.

Originally from Buttar Kalan in the Indian state of Punjab, Rajwinder Singh at the time of the killing was living in Innisfail, about two hours from the crime scene. The sketchy details released by the police revealed that Toyah had gone to Wangetti Beach, between the popular tourist hotspots of Cairns and Port Douglas, to walk her dog on 21 October 2018. But, she never returned home.

Her body was discovered by her father the next day, half buried in sand dunes.

Toyah’s father, Troy Cordingley said his daughter was “a young woman who will never get the chance to live a full life and all that entails… this was taken away from her”. “While justice will not bring Toyah back, justice is the very least that she deserves.” She was just about to start her first full-time job which never happened, her family members were quoted as saying.