Cops eyeing business angle as motive in killing of Indian national in Lapu-Lapu

Police have cordoned the area where Indian national Gagan Dep was killed in Barangay Basak shortly before noon on Friday, October 11. |Norman Mendoza

LAPU-LAPU CITY, CEBU, Philippines — Police are focusing on the business-related angle as the motive of the killing of an Indian national shortly before noon today, October 11, at Sitio Iba, Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.

Indian National Gagandeep Singh, 27, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman on foot as he was negotiating his motorcycle on a 2-meter alley in the area leading to the main road, said Senior Master Sergeant Winston Ybañez of the Mobile Patrol Group of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (MPG-LLCPO).

Read more: Indian national shot dead in Lapu-Lapu

Gagandeep, who was into the money lending business, had just collected money from clients in the area when he was killed, Ybanez said.

He said they were focusing on the motive that he was killed because of his lending business.

He said they were also looking for witnesses and CCTV footage of some establishments in the area that perhaps could give them an idea of what the killer looked like.

The police officer said they identified the victim only after a Filipina neighbor married to another Indian, passed the area.

The Filipina, Argie Singh, and her husband, were also in the area collecting money from clients of their lending business, when the victim was killed.

Argie said that Gagandeep was renting an apartment at Sitio Abuno, Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City and lived near their rented apartment as well.

Ybanez said initial investigation showed that Gagandeep was riding his Suzuki motorcycle and was coming out from an interior portion of the area.

Upon reaching a two-meter alley a few meters from the main road, a man on foot shot him in the head as he passed by.

The victim fell with his motorcycle nearly hitting a 13-year-old boy, who happened to be at the side of the alley when the shooting happened.

The gunman fled the area on foot while residents in the area, who noticed the shocked 13-year-old boy, hurriedly whisked him away from the crime scene and brought him to safety.

Police recovered spent shells of a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.

Argie told Ybañez that the victim was single and had arrived from India seven months ago.

She said that like them, Gagandeep was also into the lending business and was collecting money from clients in the area when he was attacked.

She also said she didn’t know if the victim had had any kind of trouble with his clients or with his fellow Indian national./dbs