"I am fascinated by real stories from our community"
Channel 4 has announced a new drama based on the murder of TV executive Gagandip Singh, who was attacked and left to die in a burning vehicle in south-east London.
Vengeance: Murder On The Heath will tell the story of Singh, who was 21 when he was killed in 2011. His unconscious body was placed into the boot of a car, which was later set alight in Blackheath.
Singh had a close friendship with medical student Mundill Mahil.
However, Mahil accused Singh of sexually assaulting her when he turned up unannounced one night to her Brighton student house.
She and Harvinder Shoker, along with accomplice Darren Peters, hatched a plan to lure Singh back to the student house.
After being beaten unconscious, Gagandip Singh was placed in the boot of his sister’s Mercedes, which was driven to Blackheath, London, and set alight.
Although she had not been in the room when Singh was attacked, at the trial, Mahil was characterised as a “manipulative”, “ruthless” young woman seeking retribution.
Shoker received a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years.
Peters was sentenced to 12 years for manslaughter.
Mahil was jailed for six years for causing grievous bodily harm.
Vengeance: Murder On The Heath will examine police interrogations, text messages, court records and fresh interviews connected to the case.
The cast includes British Asian actors Sasha Desouza-Willock, Dee Ahluwalia, Ikky Kabir and Safiyya Ingar.
Other cast members include Laila Rouass, Shubham Saraf and Asim Chaudhry.
Bafta-winning writer and director Aysha Rafaele said:
“As a British Asian filmmaker with a background in documentaries, I am fascinated by real stories from our community that are both specific to the culture but also resonate well beyond it.
“Everything about the shocking murder of Gagandip Singh and the circumstances surrounding it was to prove extraordinary.”
“How young everyone involved in the case was, how an accusation of attempted rape led to these young people taking the law into their own hands, playing at being God themselves, instead of just going to the police, and how this vigilante-style justice backfired so horrifically.”
Shaminder Nahal, head of specialist factual at Channel 4, added:
“This powerful and gripping series takes us straight into the hearts and minds of a group of young people navigating a messy world of blurred lines, fear, shame and violence.
“Aysha Rafaele, who has created and contributed to an astonishing body of work at Channel 4, brings her unique vision and storytelling to an urgent series that asks big questions about modern Britain, what justice means and whether revenge can ever be justified.”
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