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Indian man's murder 'not racially motivated

A young married couple will face court over the murder of a fellow fruit picker, but police say the murder was not racially motivated.

Gavel
Source: EPA

A young married couple has been charged with the murder of a fellow fruit picker, who police say was burnt alive and left beside a southern NSW road.

The pair, a 23-year-old man and his 20-year-old wife, were arrested in Sydney's San Souci at 11am (AEDT) on Thursday and later charged with the murder of 25-year-old Indian national Ranjodh Singh.

They are due to appear in Sutherland Local Court on Friday morning.

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NSW police said the body of Mr Singh was found beside Wilga Road at Willbriggie, near Griffith, on December 29 last year.

"We will be saying that Mr Singh was alive when his body was set on fire," Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch told reporters in Sydney after the couple's arrest.

"It will be alleged that the persons involved in this matter were well known to the victim."

A third person was likely to be arrested over Mr Singh's death, Mr Murdoch added.

Previous media reports said the post-mortem examination revealed Mr Singh's throat had been slashed and that he had been stabbed a number of times before being bound and set alight.

Mr Murdoch said Mr Singh had "significant" injuries prior to being set on fire.

Police would not confirm the nationality of the couple.

Mr Murdoch said: "The motive for this horrific crime is not race-related".

Representatives of the Immigration Department who were present for the couple's arrest, took a number of other people into custody at the same time.

While Mr Singh had been based in Wagga Wagga, police said he was working in Griffith, where the married couple lived before moving to Sydney.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are calling for information about the occupants of a red 1996 Ford Falcon sedan seen at a carwash in Yambil Street, Griffith, shortly after 3am on December 29.

Police are also keen to talk to anyone who travelled on the 9.30am CountryLink bus from Griffith to Wagga Wagga on December 29.

Information can be provided confidentially via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.


2 min read

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Updated

Source: AAP


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