Family of Rajwinder Singh, suspect in Toyah Cordingley murder, believes he’s in Sikh temple

A fugitive male nurse is believed to be hiding out in a Sikh temple, thwarting a global manhunt for the killer of Toyah Cordingley, his family believes.

FUGITIVE Rajwinder Singh is believed to be hiding out in a Sikh temple, thwarting a global manhunt for the killer of Toyah Cordingley, his family believes.

The former Innisfail nurse fled overseas the same day the body of the 24-year-old was found partly buried in sand dunes on Wangetti Beach six months ago.

Rajwinder Singh.

Toyah Cordingley.

Police have identified the father-of-three as a key person of interest in the unsolved murder on the tropical beach, 38km north of Cairns.

Singh has made no contact with his family and has left his wife and young children destitute and facing eviction from their home in Innisfail.

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“His trail has gone cold,’’ brother-in-law Harpreet Singh said. “She (his wife) has not had one single word, nothing.

“It is very hard for the little kids.”

Queensland Police and Australian Federal Police are liaising with Indian law enforcement agencies to help them locate the fugitive.

Singh’s father, a member of a large Sikh community in far north Queensland, has spent six months in India trying to track his wanted son down, to get him to hand himself into authorities for questioning.

Toyah Cordingley.

Pictures: Facebook

“If someone wants to hide, it is easy to hide in India,’’ the family spokesman said.

“He (Singh) could be in any one of thousands of Sikh temples, where he can live under a fake identity and get work, free food and board.

He believes Singh — who lived in Australia for nine years — may be hiding in a religious sect near his hometown of Butter Sivia, 40km from Amritsar in the Punjabi district of northern India.

Mr Singh said there were many Gurdwaras in the region, which were set up as private communities behind walls. He said it was likely his brother-in-law was living in one.

Singh’s wife, mother and young children have been left penniless with no access to bank accounts and their home and car were about to be repossessed, the cane farmer said.

“I think he is still alive. I don’t think he has committed suicide. Why fly all the way to India to kill yourself? He’s hiding somewhere.’’

Police have obtained evidence allegedly putting Singh — and his car with a bright pink personalised number plate with the letters Raj — at the scene at the time of the October 21 murder.

His vehicle was allegedly spotted driving erratically in Cairns before he returned home to Innisfail and booked a flight to India via Sydney that same night.