• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The still-unsolved kidnapping case of Iranian-born Canadian citizen Elnaz Hajtamiri has taken another turn with the extradition of a suspect of Indian origin from the US. Sukhpreet Singh, 25, of Mississauga, was arrested in Texas early this year and extradited to Canada this week, officials confirmed.

York Regional Police say Singh was arrested in June by the US Marshals Service and officially charged in August. He appeared in court on Tuesday, extradited from Ontario, and is currently charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Assault Prior To Disappearance

Singh is associated with the brutal beating of Hajtamiri in December 2021, when she was attacked in a Richmond Hill basement parking garage. According to police, she was hit on the head with a frying pan during a failed abduction bid that left her requiring 40 stitches. Investigators also found tracking devices were put on her car, increasing concerns that she was being kept under surveillance.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Seeks US Partnership In Arabian Sea Port Development: Report

Only weeks afterwards, on January 12, 2022, Hajtamiri was kidnapped by three men posing as police officers from a relative's residence in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. She has not been heard of since and is assumed dead.

Who Was Elnaz Hajtamiri?

Hajtamiri, 37, had moved to Canada from Iran in 2018 and was employed in the import-export shipping sector. Friends labelled her ambitious and tough. Her personal life, though, had become marred towards the end of 2021 after she broke up with boyfriend Mohamad Lilo, whom she had accused of harassment.

Police believe Lilo may have orchestrated the attacks. He has since been charged with first-degree murder, along with several counts of attempted kidnapping and assault.

Eight Suspects Charged So Far

Singh is now the eighth suspect charged in connection with the assaults and abduction of Hajtamiri. Other accused include Jaspreet Singh, HarshdeepBinner, Riyasat Singh, Deshawn Davis, and Hajtamiri’s ex-boyfriend Lilo.

York police had issued a Canada-wide warrant for Sukhpreet Singh in 2023 as a suspect in the Richmond Hill attack. He had gone abroad but was later found in Texas in a joint operation by US Marshals, Homeland Security, Austin Police, and immigration enforcers.

ALSO READ: Trump Warns Hamas To Act Fast On Gaza Peace Deal After Deadly Strikes, Says 'I Will Not Tolerate...'

During his arrest, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tweeted, "Criminal aliens will find no refuge in the US We will find you, arrest you, and remove you." 

Multiple arrests have failed to reveal Hajtamiri's whereabouts. The authorities are still investigating her disappearance and have put up a CAD 100,000 reward for any clues leading to her location.