Indian police to form taskforce to track ‘person of interest’ in Toyah Cordingley’s murder

Indian police have confirmed they will form a special taskforce to track a fugitive nurse and father-of-three who is a “person of interest” in the murder of Toyah Cordingley near Cairns eight weeks ago.

FUGITIVE Indian nurse Rajwinder Singh is on the run, with an appeal for his arrest in a global manhunt for the killer of Toyah Cordingley.

Indian police exclusively confirmed to The Sunday Mail plans to form a special taskforce after an official request to track down and arrest the Innisfail father-of-three.

Queensland Police said Mr Singh was a “person of interest”, but are investigating other leads in the unsolved murder eight weeks ago.

Ms Cordingley, a beloved “beautiful soul”, a pharmacy assistant and animal welfare volunteer, was killed walking her dog on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, about 2.30pm on Sunday, October 21.

Rajwinder Singh.

Mr Singh, who was “mentally upset”, abruptly left his job at Innisfail Hospital and flew out of Cairns the day the 24-year-old’s body was found.

He flew to Sydney and stayed with his sister before flying to India the next day, his family said.

His father Amar, who lived with him in Innisfail, has been in India’s Punjab region going door-to-door of relatives and friends trying to find his son who has made no contact since he vanished. “We want him to surrender himself and come home and tell us the truth,’’ his brother-in-law Harpreet Singh said.

“We want him to clear his and our name. If he is guilty, he has to face punishment. He has to come back and face justice.

“None of us have heard one single word from him. His wife is depressed and confused.”

Australia has a standing extradition treaty with India but it is notoriously difficult to get wanted persons returned from the subcontinent.

Mr Singh’s family say he was behaving strangely before he vanished but do not believe he was capable of murder.

Police in his home town of Armitsar in Punjab told The Sunday Mail they had received a request to find and arrest Rajwinder, but were yet to locate him.

Toyah Cordingley. Picture: Facebook

It is understood no Interpol notice has been issued in his name.

“The best thing is we can form a special team and look for the (person of interest),’’ said an officer of Amritsar District who did not want to be named.

“A special team can work independently to track any (person of interest).’’

Mr Singh’s family plan to fly to India over Christmas to try to find him.

“If he has to divorce his wife, he should do that, too, but he needs to make everything clear,’’ said his brother-in-law.

Queensland Police have told the family he hasn’t used his credit cards or bank accounts since leaving.

His family believe he could be hiding in a Sikh temple where he would receive free food and a bed.

“He has left behind a lot of heartache and trouble,’’ Mr Singh said.