Mumbai: In a major setback to the Mumbai Police, Belgian authorities have rejected India’s request to extradite Jagpalpreet Kamal Singh, a Brussels-based man of Indian origin accused of instigating a gruesome murder involving speech- and hearing-impaired individuals in Mumbai last year. With no Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and Belgium, the police have now decided to proceed with a trial in absentia against Singh.

The chilling case dates back to August 5, 2024, when two men—Jay Chavda and Shivjeet Singh—were found dragging a large suitcase at Dadar station. When stopped by a railway police constable, a body wrapped in polythene was discovered inside. The victim was identified as Arshad Ali Sadiq Ali Shaikh, 30, a resident of Kalina.

Subsequent investigations revealed a disturbing plot involving multiple accused, all of whom were speech- and hearing-impaired. Singh, who is also differently-abled, allegedly provoked the accused via WhatsApp video calls from Belgium and instructed them to torture and kill Shaikh. The videos were reportedly shared in deaf community groups in Belgium before being deleted out of fear.