’I will write that cheque myself’: Vow to honour $1m reward for Toyah Cordingley suspect

Queensland’s Police Commissioner has vowed write a $1 million reward cheque herself if it’s proven that a tip led to the arrest of the suspected killer of Toyah Cordingley.

Police are confident they have a case strong enough to extradite and prosecute the man arrested in India over the death of Toyah Cordingley.

Suspected killer Rajwinder Singh was arrested in New Delhi on Friday, more than four years after Cordingley was found dead on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in 2018.

Mr Singh left behind his job, wife, and three children, and flew to India two days after Cordingley’s death, and police have been trying to track him down ever since.

Mr Singh was arrested by Indian law enforcement and will face court in New Delhi before the extradition processes can begin.

Rajwinder Singh is arrested in India on Friday. Picture: Tawqeer Hussain

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll did not know how long that would take.

“I think there’s always a concern about any (extradition) process, but I also do know we have a lot of interaction with police in India,” she said.

“A lot of conversations, a lot of visits from us to them, so there has been a comprehensive piece of work already done to prepare for this.

“So I am confident the procedure should go quite smoothly because we’ve already prepared for this.”

Last month, the state government announced a $1m reward for information that could help find Mr Singh.

Police also flew officers to India to help local police.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: David Clark

Ms Carroll said she would certainly honour the reward, if confirmed.

“The process will be followed in relation to the million dollars, however, if it has led to this person’s arrest, I will happily, happily, write out that cheque myself,” she said.

Cordingley, a pharmacy assistant, was killed while walking her dog on the afternoon of October 21, 2018. The 24-year-old was first reported missing by her family, but her body was found almost 12 hours later.

Mr Singh has been a person of interest since the early stages of the investigation, after he abruptly left his job at Innisfail Hospital and flew to India.

Ms Carroll said she was confident in the case being put forward against Mr Singh.

Toyah Cordingley.

Ms Carroll said she always knew they would find Cordingley’s suspected killer.

“Even though it has been four years, I am so pleased we can bring further closure to her family,” she said.

“It was never a question of if, but when this day would come. I come from that part of the world, up there in Far North Queensland, and know how deeply this affected that tight-knit community.

“I know behind the scenes the work that has been done. I know how relentless it has been, how comprehensive it has been. I definitely believe this will go down as another one of those famous police homicide investigations.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan said police had been “relentless” in their search for Mr Singh and would continue their hard work in bringing him back to Australia.

“Courts have to do their procedures … we are respectful of that, and we hope for that court process to be as expeditious as possible,” Mr Ryan said.