US Revokes Citizenship of Indian-Origin Man Convicted of Rape
Singh, a former taxi driver, was convicted in New York over the 2011 kidnapping and rape of a female passenger
The United States has revoked the citizenship of Gurmeet Singh, a 55-year-old Indian-origin man, after a federal court found that he had concealed a rape and kidnapping case while applying for naturalisation.
Singh, a former taxi driver, was convicted in New York over the 2011 kidnapping and rape of a female passenger. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and is currently serving his sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
The US Department of Justice announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York had entered a judgment cancelling Singh's naturalisation. Judge Nicholas Garaufis also ordered him to surrender his citizenship certificate and US passport by September 16.
According to court records, Singh entered the United States in February 1992 on a temporary visitor visa. He remained in the country beyond the authorised period before obtaining permanent residency through a family-based immigration petition in June 2000.
In May 2011, weeks before submitting his application for US citizenship, Singh was working as a taxi driver when he picked up a 26-year-old woman. Prosecutors said the passenger fell asleep during the journey and later woke up to find Singh threatening her with a knife.
Authorities said Singh had driven to a secluded location, where he restrained, gagged and blindfolded the woman before sexually assaulting her. The victim later escaped from the taxi and sought help from people on the street.
Singh did not disclose the criminal conduct during his naturalisation proceedings and became a US citizen on October 19, 2011.
He was subsequently convicted in New York of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping as a sexually motivated felony and sentenced to two decades in prison.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said citizenship obtained through fraud would not protect criminals from accountability.
“American citizenship is not a shield for criminals,” Blanche said, adding that Singh had concealed the rape and kidnapping during the naturalisation process.
The Justice Department said the denaturalisation case was filed in February and concluded with the court's August 26 order revoking Singh's citizenship.
The department said the action was aimed at protecting the integrity of the US naturalisation process and holding accountable individuals who obtain citizenship through deception.
Singh remains incarcerated and will continue serving his 20-year sentence.
