Police pinpoints motive in Singh kidnap-slay
All things taken into consideration, business rivalry seemed to be the most likely motive behind the kidnap-slay of Indian national Naib Singh.
From business rivalry, the angle of protection racket sprouted as another reason why Singh was abducted and later killed.
PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas explained that there is an ongoing conflict within the Indian community involved in lending business.
“There are two groups of Indian nationals. There are people who would want to influence or take advantage of the situation for their own interest,” Cuevas added.
Because of this conflict, there are groups or units within the PNP that offered protection in lieu or regular financial retainers.
“There are some members of the PNP and other law enforcement agencies nga naki-sawsaw sa gulo na ‘yan,” Cuevas noted.
Because of these revelations, Cuevas said that there is a possibility that some agents of the PNP, like the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), have indeed connections to what happened.
It can be noted that a witness saw that one of the suspects who abducted Singh was wearing a CIDG jacket.
But this report is not yet confirmed by Task Force Singh, an interim group created to look into the Singh kidnapping and has CIDG as its member unit.
Aside from CIDG, also involved in the investigation is the Regional Intelligence Division (RID), Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD), Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO), and the Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO).
To note, Singh, 45, of Gran Plains Subdivision, Jaro, Iloilo City, was found dead a day after he was abducted at Sara town, Iloilo.
Singh’s body was found at 6:00 in the morning of May 30 at the far-flung Sitio Ulang, Brgy. Sibariwan, Dumarao, Capiz.
According to Dumarao Police Station, the victim bore five stab wounds on his body and his head was obviously struck with a hard object.
On board his Mitsubishi Adventure, the victim was abducted by four men at around 5:00 p.m. of Saturday while Singh was collecting payment for his lending business.
Jagraj Singh, brother of the victim, said that the kidnappers demanded P7 million for Naib’s release but he appealed to reduce the ransom to P1 million and he promised to give the amount 5:00 p.m. of May 30, 2010.
In the end, however, the family opted not to give a single cent after learning that the victim was killed.
Reports indicated that Singh could have been murdered on the night of May 29.