Indian national held over compatriot’s death

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A young Indian national was arrested for allegedly killing his compatriot in Estancia, Iloilo.

Police collared 23-year-old Hardeep Singh near the crime scene at Villa Subdivision in Barangay Cano-an, Estancia evening of March 27.

The body of 25-year-old Kamal Deep Singh was found 8:30 a.m. Sunday. His throat was slit and his chest and back bore two stab wounds. He also suffered a defense wound on his arm.

Kamal Deep was bathed in his blood inside his rented house in Villa Paterna.

Lieutenant Joebert Amado, Estancia police chief, said the victim lived a block away from Hardeep’s house.

The murder was known after one of Kamal Deep’s collectors claimed her call was left unanswered.

During Sundays, the female collector would usually wait for the victim to pick her up at a curb outside the subdivision to do some field work.

But when Kamal Deep didn’t show up at the usual time, she called him up. After several tries, she decided to go to his house and check.

When she peeked inside the house, she immediately saw blood on the curtain and wall.

The woman then called another female collector before asking the subdivision management for assistance.

When the officials from the subdivision opened the house, they immediately saw the lifeless Kamal.

Kamal Deep was last seen alive around 9:30 p.m. Saturday during a gathering with other Indian nationals at the same subdivision.

It was believed that he headed home after their meeting.

Witnesses pointed to Hardeep as the possible suspect after he was seen near the victim’s house around 12:35 a.m. Sunday.

Amado said they are looking for two or more suspects.

One of the other suspects is also an Indian national and the others could be some local persons.

Amado said investigators are looking at robbery as motive of the incident.

While Kamal was into the money lending business, Hardeep was working for another businessman.

Kamal’s scope of operations are at least three towns in Iloilo province.

“But we couldn’t establish the robbery aspect of the crime because we don’t know if there were money taken,” he said.

There were still money inside Kamal’s car when police checked.

Instead of robbery with homicide, police might be filing a case of murder against Hardeep and his cohorts.