$1m reward for suspected killer ‘highly likely’ to bring arrest
A seven-figure reward for information leading to the arrest of former Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh is “highly likely” to bring about an arrest as Far North detectives pick up the trail of the nation’s most wanted fugitive.
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A seven-figure reward for information leading to the arrest of former Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh is “highly likely” to bring about an arrest as Far North detectives pick up the trail of the nation’s most wanted fugitive.
On Thursday police announced a record $1m reward for information that led to the capture of Mr Singh.
The Indian national was last seen on Australian soil on October 23 at Sydney Airport where he boarded a plane for India.
He left the country two days after the body of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley was found partially buried in sand at Wangetti Beach.
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch, kept up-to-date by federal authorities on the case, said he had a sense an arrest could be imminent.
“My understanding is they are getting very close,” he said.
Detective Inspector Kevin Goan and Detective Sergeant Gary Hall from Cairns have travelled to India with Detective Inspector Chris Knight from the Homicide Investigations Group.
Though police have been tight-lipped about the known movements of the principal person of interest in the Cordingley murder case, Mr Entsch indicated the net was closing on the former Innisfail Hospital worker.
If you are in #India please use the numbers on these posters pic.twitter.com/OpjXbzt79F
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 4, 2022
“I would say it would be highly likely that he will be arrested,” he said.
“As a Sikh he would be a minority in India. I think he will have trouble getting concealed.
“It’s been very broadly (promoted) in Australia and they know where he went to and it’s a great incentive to point the finger.”
When an extradition deal was announced in October, in anticipation of Mr Singh’s arrest a court date was set down for November 5. It’s understood that date will be extended if no arrest has been made.
Mr Entsch said it had been a long wait for the reward announcement but Ms Cordingley’s family could take heart from the news.
“Yes, it did take a long time and we were told the Indian authorities were actively looking for this alleged perpetrator before the reward was announced,” he said.
Director of Copy Shop Business centre Steve Parsonage printed a run of thousands of the now famous bumper stickers immediately after the alleged murder in 2018.
He welcomed the $1m reward and an indemnity from prosecution announced by police on Thursday.
“I think it’s great, it can only help,” he said.
“One million to them would be like us winning $160m on Powerball. I think it will make a lot of people sit up and take notice.”
Cairns-based Detective Acting Superintendent Sonia Smith said investigations into Ms Cordingley’s death remained a priority for police and had led to the establishment of Operation Quebec Clarify.
“We strongly believe there are people in Australia and overseas who could share information about the whereabouts of Rajwinder Singh,” she said.
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