Long Island construction executive Navdeep Singh offered $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India to have his business rival kidnapped, tortured, and dismembered, with a request for photographic evidence of the murder.
Key Takeaways
- Navdeep Singh faces up to 25 years in prison for an alleged murder-for-hire plot against a former business associate amid a multi-million-dollar civil litigation dispute.
- Singh allegedly paid a $7,000 down payment and wanted his victim kidnapped, tortured, extorted, and dismembered, with photos of the body as proof.
- The plot was foiled when the person Singh approached to act as a hitman reported him to the authorities instead of carrying out the crime.
- Singh took extensive steps to plan the murder, including photographing the victim’s home and vehicle and purchasing burner phones.
- He is currently held on $1 million cash bail, has been ordered to surrender his passport, and faces conspiracy and criminal solicitation charges.
Business Dispute Escalates to Murder Plot
Navdeep Singh, owner of Gravity Construction Corp. in Nassau County, New York, has been arrested and charged in what prosecutors describe as a chilling murder-for-hire plot born from a business dispute. The construction executive allegedly planned the kidnapping, torture, and eventual murder of a former business associate with whom he was engaged in a years-long legal battle. The dispute reportedly began after Singh’s company was removed from a job managed by the intended victim, escalating into multi-million dollar civil litigation between their construction companies.
“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.
Disturbing Details of the Murder Plan
The allegations against Singh reveal a meticulously planned murder plot that included extensive preparation and a substantial financial offer. Singh reportedly offered a would-be hitman $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India as payment for the crime. He allegedly made a $7,000 down payment and provided detailed instructions about how the murder should be carried out. Singh’s requests went beyond a simple killing, as he demanded evidence of the murder’s completion and specifically requested dismemberment of the victim.
“He wanted the victim dead, but not just dead. He wanted him dismembered,” Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly told reporters.
Singh allegedly instructed the hitman to kidnap the victim, torture him to obtain the password to his phone, and extort money from him before killing him. In a particularly disturbing detail, Singh requested that the hitman take photos of the victim’s severed head and body as proof of the murder’s completion. To avoid detection, Singh purchased burner phones for communication with the hitman and personally conducted surveillance of the victim’s residence and vehicle, taking photographs to aid in the planned attack.
Plot Foiled by Hitman’s Cooperation
What Singh didn’t anticipate was that the colleague he approached to carry out the murder would instead report him to authorities. This crucial decision by the potential hitman led to Singh’s arrest by the Nassau County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad in Manhasset. The foiled plot highlights how law enforcement’s cooperation with citizens can prevent violent crimes before they occur. Singh now faces serious legal consequences, with bail set at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, or $5 million partially-secured bond. He has been ordered to surrender his passport.
“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 stated.
The case has sent shockwaves through the local community, with some residents comparing it to something from a crime drama rather than real life. Singh now faces conspiracy and criminal solicitation charges that could result in up to 25 years in prison if he is convicted. Nassau County officials expressed their shock at the extreme measures Singh allegedly took to resolve a business dispute.
“It is unfathomable the lengths to which this defendant was allegedly willing to go,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder emphasized the serious nature of the threat, saying, “This was a very dangerous situation,” and credited the cooperation between the district attorney’s office and police for preventing what could have been a tragedy.
