Coroner’s findings into murder of Sargun Ragi

A WIFE trying to escape her estranged husband after an arranged marriage was brutally murdered when he hired a private investigator to track down her new address.

Sargun Ragi. Murder-suicide.

SEEING his mother set herself alight in a suicide attempt when he was just one and a half years old, was something that would stick with Avjit Singh into his adulthood, giving him an idea that led to his demise.

The Indian man ended up burning his own wife alive before killing himself, a Coroner’s Court has heard.

Mr Singh grew up in Amritsar, Punjab, and was described as intelligent.

He studied a computer course at a college and later became manager of a Pizza Hut.

But in 2005, Mr Singh was in search of more and immigrated to Australia with a student visa.

After working a number of jobs and becoming an Australian citizen, Mr Singh went back to India in hope of finding a wife.

In July 2011, he was introduced to Sargun Ragi and their marriage was arranged.

The couple lived together for a few months before Mr Singh returned to Australia, his new wife joined him soon after.

Mr Singh started driving taxis and, after living with friends for a few months, the pair rented their own place in the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner.

They had no television, fridge, computer or landline telephone and slept on a mattress on the floor.

Avjit Singh brutally murdered his wife Sargun Ragi, who was very unhappy in the marriage.

It was here when Mr Singh started to become abusive towards his wife.

He allegedly threatened her with divorce and deportation if she did not have sex with him and Ms Ragi made claims her husband would also slap her in the face.

She never said he physically forced her to have sex but would instead make the threats.

Mr Singh would leave for work and lock the doors, taking the keys and Ms Ragi’s mobile phone.

She would climb out the windows and, in August 2012, she found solace with a neighbour, who let her stay in his house.

The Coroner’s Court of Victoria heard that Ms Ragi told the neighbour about her toxic relationship and how she was raped and mistreated.

He helped Ms Ragi find a lawyer so she could find new accommodation to escape Mr Singh.

Later that month, Mr Singh returned from work and found his wife missing.

After reporting her disappearance to police, she was found hidden at the neighbour’s house and she told authorities of her husband’s mistreatment.

Mr Singh then had to appear in court and was banned from contacting his wife.

The Coroner’s Court heard he later was prohibited from keeping her under surveillance, attempting to locate her and following her.

Ms Ragi was offered a spot in Berry Street, an organisation that offers residential care to victims of domestic violence.

She rejected the placement as she was under her lawyer’s care.

She attempted to be placed there again at a later date but it had been too long since she suffered from the abuse.

During this time, Mr Singh was diagnosed with stress and anxiety and was referred to a psychologist, but police were advised he never attempted to see one.

The Coroner’s Court then heard Mr Singh informed his parents he was going to hire a private investigator to find his estranged wife, who had since moved on with a new partner.

Ms Ragi was now living alone in Kew East.

Mr Singh contacted his father two days before he and Ms Ragi died and said he knew where she lived and that she had a partner.

It was October 4, 2012, when Mr Singh decided to visit Ms Ragi in a taxi he had picked up from its owner.

The Coroner’s Court heard Mr Singh drove to Kmart in Cambellfield just after 2am.

He bought a box cutter, gloves, wrecking bar, a flexible gas lighter, a wood chisel, a riveter, bolt cutters, a four-piece knife set and a five-litre fuel can.

He filled the can with petrol at a BP in Fairfield just before 3am and also bought rope and a roll of masking tape.

He pulled up one block from Ms Ragi’s house in Kew East just before 4.30am.

Police received a call from the owner of the taxi about 7.30am, informing them where it was parked.

The Coroner’s Court of Victoria has looked into the death of Avjit Singh and Sargun Ragi.

The Coroner’s Court heard some time before 8am, it is believed Mr Singh used to wrecking bar to break into Ms Ragi’s home and used one of his knives to cut her throat.

A report from the Coroner’s Court said the attack happened in several rooms in the house.

While Ms Ragi was still alive, Mr Singh poured petrol on her and lit her on fire. She later died from her burns.

Mr Singh then ignited the bed and front bedroom, resulting in him catching alight.

His clothes were tested and there were no traces of accelerant so it is unknown whether Mr Singh caught on fire accidentally or on purpose.

Police heard Mr Singh’s voice when they reached the home and after many attempts to rescue him, they succeeded.

He had nothing but clothes around his waist and burns to 95 per cent of his body.

The Herald Sun reported state coroner Ian Gray found Victoria Police failed to “comprehend the bigger picture” as Mr Singh constantly breached the intervention order put in place before he murdered his wife.

It is believed Mr Singh attempted to contact Ms Ragi by calling her and messaging her on Facebook.

“In my view, the police failed to accord sufficient urgency and seriousness to Ms Ragi’s reports of Mr Singh’s telephone contact breaches of the intervention order,” Judge Gray said.

“The lesson from this case is that telephone breaches can, in fact, be clear evidence of escalating risk to the protected person under an intervention order.

“There was no overall view of risk and no consideration of whether the increasing contact represented an increasing danger to Ms Ragi.”

Judge Gray recommended police officers dealing with domestic violence cases to review any previous reports for the same offender and called for Victoria to introduce a family violence advocate.

“This is a shocking case of family violence perpetrated by a man seemingly determined to exact vengeance on a woman who had obtained the protection of an intervention order,” he said.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, phone 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)