A man serving a life sentence for murdering his wife in South Auckland has failed in his bid to avoid deportation to India after claiming he would face stigma, isolation and possible harm if returned there.
According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, Beant Singh was sentenced in 2022 to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years and six months for the murder of his wife, Binderpal Kaur.
Kaur was strangled at the couple’s South Auckland home on September 20, 2020, following an argument. Singh pleaded guilty to murder just weeks before his scheduled trial, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
Having lived in New Zealand for only seven years before the killing, Singh became liable for deportation after receiving a deportation notice in April 2024. He later appealed on humanitarian grounds, seeking to remain in New Zealand after his release from prison, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
According to a recently released Immigration and Protection Tribunal decision, Singh argued he would face severe hardship if returned to India.
“In essence, he says that, if he were to return to India, he would have no support from family, he would be isolated from the community at large because of the stigma his conviction will carry and he is at risk of being harmed by members of Binderpal’s family, who have threatened him and his family members if he goes back,” the tribunal summary stated, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
The tribunal heard evidence about the couple’s troubled marriage and allegations of domestic violence leading up to Kaur’s death.
Before she was killed, Kaur reportedly told relatives she feared Singh would murder her. Family members said she described being kicked and slapped by her husband and showed photographs of injuries she claimed he caused, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
On the night of the killing, Singh went to a friend’s home in distress and said Kaur was bleeding from her nose. The friend initially believed she had suffered a medical emergency and called an ambulance while travelling to the couple’s house.
Paramedics arrived around 9.20pm, but Kaur was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Court documents revealed the couple’s inability to have children had created tension in the relationship. At sentencing, Kaur’s family alleged Singh had punished her because she could not conceive.
The High Court previously heard the marriage was “volatile” and marked by aggression, possessiveness, control and violence by Singh towards Kaur, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
During the deportation appeal, Singh admitted his actions were wrong and said he had “reflected deeply on his actions”.
He told the tribunal he had behaved well in prison and argued he was now “well settled” in New Zealand with few remaining ties to India.
“The stigma of being convicted in New Zealand would make it impossible for him to find employment or accommodation. He would have nowhere to live, no work and no family support,” the decision stated, the New Zealand Herald has quoted.
Singh also claimed relatives of Kaur had threatened revenge and that “local gangsters” warned his brother he would face harm if he returned.
However, lawyers for the Minister of Immigration argued Singh still had strong family ties in India and would have access to support upon his return.
They said any threats were made immediately after Kaur’s death, when emotions were heightened.
“Anger would inevitably dissipate over time and the appellant has not established that he is genuinely at risk,” as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
The tribunal ultimately rejected Singh’s claims, finding he had exaggerated the extent of his isolation in India after initially failing to disclose he had several surviving siblings living near his home village.
“The appellant clearly withheld information about his family members to portray a misleading level of isolation upon his return,” the tribunal found, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
It also dismissed his concerns about stigma.
“In any event, the appellant’s actions in murdering his wife will attract stigma whether he is in this country or in India,” the New Zealand Herald has quoted.
The tribunal ruled Singh had not proven he faced any real danger if deported and concluded the difficulties he may experience were a direct consequence of his conviction rather than exceptional humanitarian circumstances, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
Singh remains liable for deportation once released from prison.
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