A New York construction company owner offered $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India to have his business rival kidnapped, tortured, and brutally dismembered after a dispute led to multi-million dollar litigation between their companies.
Key Takeaways
- Navdeep Singh, a Long Island construction company owner, faces up to 25 years in prison for an alleged murder-for-hire plot against a former business associate.
- Singh allegedly offered $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India as payment, even making a $7,000 down payment to the would-be hitman.
- The plot was thwarted when the colleague Singh approached to carry out the murder reported him to the authorities instead.
- Singh demanded photographic evidence of the victim’s dismembered body and took extensive steps to plan the crime, including photographing the victim’s home and purchasing burner phones.
- Singh is currently held on $1 million cash bail and has been ordered to surrender his passport while awaiting trial.
A Business Dispute Turns Deadly
Navdeep Singh, owner of Gravity Construction Corp. in Nassau County, New York, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy and criminal solicitation after allegedly orchestrating an elaborate plot to kidnap and kill a former business associate. The motivation behind this chilling scheme appears to be a years-long legal dispute between their construction companies, with pending civil litigation potentially worth millions of dollars. Singh’s company had reportedly been removed from a job managed by the intended victim, escalating tensions between the two businessmen to dangerous levels.
“Because of a years-long dispute with a former business associate and multi-million dollar pending civil litigation between their two construction companies, this defendant allegedly decided to hatch a plot to have his rival kidnapped and murdered,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Shocking Details of the Murder Plot
The particulars of Singh’s alleged plan reveal a disturbing level of premeditation and brutality. According to prosecutors, Singh didn’t just want his rival dead – he wanted him kidnapped, tortured, and extorted before being killed and dismembered. The construction owner allegedly provided detailed instructions to the hitman, demanding photographic evidence once the deed was done. Singh allegedly took extensive steps to facilitate the crime, including photographing the victim’s home and vehicle, purchasing burner phones for communication, and making a $7,000 down payment.
“He wanted the victim dead, but not just dead. He wanted him dismembered,” Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly told reporters.
The payment arrangement Singh proposed was extraordinary – offering not only $100,000 in cash but also 10 acres of land in India as compensation for the murder. This international dimension adds another layer of complexity to the case and potentially indicates the lengths to which Singh was willing to go to eliminate his business rival. The combination of financial motivation and personal animosity appears to have driven Singh to extraordinary measures in an attempt to resolve the business dispute permanently.
Plot Unraveled by Cooperating Witness
Singh’s elaborate murder-for-hire scheme ultimately collapsed when the colleague he approached to carry out the killing made the moral decision to report the plot to authorities instead. This critical act of cooperation led to an investigation by the Nassau County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad, resulting in Singh’s arrest in Manhasset. Law enforcement officials have praised the cooperation between the district attorney’s office and police that prevented what could have been a horrific crime.
“The defendant met with the hitman several times in the past two weeks, handing over $7,000. This was a down payment to end a man’s life,” Donnelly explained.
Following his arrest, Singh was remanded to jail with bail set at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, or $5 million partially-secured bond. The court has also ordered him to surrender his passport, recognizing the potential flight risk given his international connections. If convicted of the charges against him, Singh faces up to 25 years in prison. The case has shocked residents, with many comparing the brazen murder plot to something from a crime drama rather than real life in suburban Long Island.
Law Enforcement Response
Nassau County officials have expressed shock at the brutality of the planned crime. The case serves as a sobering reminder of how business disputes can sometimes escalate to dangerous extremes. The swift action by law enforcement in this case potentially prevented a tragedy and demonstrated the effectiveness of cooperation between different agencies. Had the plot not been reported, the outcome could have been devastating for the intended victim and his family.
“It is unfathomable the lengths to which this defendant was allegedly willing to go,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “This was a very dangerous situation.” The case illustrates how critical it is for individuals approached about participating in criminal activities to come forward and cooperate with authorities. Had the would-be hitman not reported Singh’s proposition, authorities might never have learned about the plot until it was too late.
