From New Beginnings in New Zealand to Brutal Murder by Ex-Boss

A court heard a young Punjabi man was fatally wounded outside his home in New Zealand after a brutal stabbing attack that left him partially decapitated.

A court has now sentenced his killer to life imprisonment, closing a case that exposed devastating personal loss and a suspected motive rooted in rejection.

Gurjit Singh was discovered unresponsive and covered in blood outside his Hillary Street property in the Liberton suburb on January 28, 2024. A friend attempted to revive him, but the efforts failed.

The technician had been stabbed 46 times in what prosecutors described as a sustained and violent attack.

His killer, a 35-year-old known only as Rajinder, has now been sentenced to life imprisonment. The court imposed a minimum non-parole period of 17 and a half years.

The sentencing followed a three-week trial that laid out the sequence of events leading to Mr Singh’s death.

A Calculated Attack

Prosecutors argued that Rajinder deliberately targeted his former employee, Mr Singh, in an attack that was both premeditated and exceptionally brutal.

CCTV footage presented during the trial showed Rajinder purchasing gloves, a knife and a scarf before the killing. DNA evidence later placed him at the scene.

Prosecutor Richard Smith told the court that Rajinder had attempted to frame the meeting as a reconciliation.

Rajinder had reportedly said he wanted to “clear the air” and share a cup of tea with Mr Singh after tensions emerged between them.

However, the Crown dismissed this version of events as deceptive.

Mr Smith said Rajinder had instead brought a knife to the meeting and used it to carry out the killing. He described the account given to a report writer as yet another example of dishonesty.

Justice Rachel Dunningham described Rajinder’s version of events as “quite implausible”, telling him:

“Only you will know why you killed Mr Singh.”

Evidence presented during the trial suggested a potential motive linked to a rejected marriage proposal.

Mr Singh’s widow, Kamaljeet Kaur, had previously been approached for marriage by Rajinder’s family. The Crown argued that this rejection may have contributed to the attack.

A Life Built on Sacrifice

Beyond the details of the crime, the case laid bare the human cost of Mr Singh’s death.

His parents, Nishan Singh and Swarn Kaur, came from a humble village in Punjab. They sold everything they owned to support their son’s move to New Zealand.

Mr Singh later set up a business, with hopes of supporting his parents as they grew older.

They said: “He was our pride and joy.

“The pain of his murder had left us ‘completely broken’.”

“Every sentence at the trial felt like a ‘blow to our hearts’.

“Now we have nothing. We are surviving, we are no longer living.”

Their home remains frozen in time, with Mr Singh’s home remaining untouched as “emptiness consumes us”.

They added: “We will carry this pain for the rest of our lives.”

A Future Taken Away

Gurjit Singh had been preparing to start a new chapter with his wife, Kamaljeet Kaur. The couple had recently married and were planning to build their life together in New Zealand.

Mrs Kaur was due to arrive in the country in early February 2024. Instead, she received news of her husband’s murder.

In a victim impact statement, she said: “In a single moment, my entire life collapsed.”

She described their last meeting at the airport, where they said goodbye while counting down the days until they would reunite.

With her bags packed for a new life, she instead faced unimaginable loss.

The aftermath brought further challenges. Widowed at a young age, Mrs Kaur said she faced criticism and judgment within her community.

As a result, she had to give up the life she was building.

Their shared dreams of a future together in New Zealand ended abruptly. What remained was grief, isolation and a life permanently altered.

Justice and Aftermath

Justice Dunningham acknowledged the presence of Mr Singh’s family, including those listening to proceedings from India. The court heard the full extent of the emotional and financial consequences caused by the killing.

While the Crown raised the possibility of financial reparation, the judge declined to order it. Instead, she imposed costs totalling $8,200 to be paid to Singh’s parents and widow.

Outside court, Nishan Singh said the family were satisfied with the sentence. They also expressed gratitude for the justice system.

The case also extended beyond the primary offender.

Rajinder’s wife, Gurpreet Kaur, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

She admitted to hiding a pair of her husband’s shoes, which later tested positive for tiny glass fragments consistent with the crime scene.

She is due to be sentenced in July 2026.

Defence counsel Anne Stevens KC highlighted Rajinder’s circumstances in custody, noting the challenges he faced as the only Sikh in his prison.

She also said he had separated from his wife and had limited support.

However, the court remained focused on the severity of the crime and its lasting impact.

The sentencing reflects both the brutality of the attack and the irreversible damage caused to a family who had invested everything in their son’s future.