$31,455: Donations pour in for Gurjit’s family back in India

The Kiwi-Indian community has begun raising funds to support the family of Gurjit Singh, the 27-year-old from Punjab who was murdered in Dunedin on January 29.

The fundraiser organised by Otago Punjabi Foundation Trust had already received nearly $31,455 in donations from 631 people as of the morning of February 6. 

You can donate for the cause at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/support-gurjit-singh-family. The fundraiser page opened on February 5 and will be active till March 5. 

A friend found Gurjit’s body in a pool of blood and shards of glass outside the Kiwi-Indian’s house in the suburb of Pine Hill on January 29, with injuries police say were most likely caused by a sharp object. 

A 33-year-old man who police say was involved in the murder of Gurjit Singh in Dunedin was arrested on January 5. Investigators did not disclose any more information about the accused, whose identity has been protected under court orders, or the arrest operation that happened Monday morning. 

The investigation into the gruesome killing of the 27-year-old from Pamal village in the northern Indian state of Punjab is far from over, say police, as “several vehicles, another residential property and workplaces are still part of the ongoing investigation.”

“A large team of investigators have worked extensively on this case, but there is still work to do. We wish to thank members of the public for their information and CCTV footage provided, which has helped greatly with the investigation,” a police officer said. 

Gulrjit’s body has been flown into Christchurch and paperwork is being prepared for repatriation expected later this week. His father arrived in Christchurch over the weekend, and police say their team and the Punjabi community in the South Island city are providing him the support he needs.

In the days leading up to Gurjit’s murder, Gurjit had reportedly been worried for his safety after a break-in attempt at his house.

Gurjit had been excitedly sharing plans to holiday with his new wife the night police believe he was murdered. The man from Ludhiana district arrived in New Zealand in 2015 on a student visa, and struggled his way up to finally take up work as a fibre telecommunications technician with Chorus.