Male nurse accused of killing Toyah Cordingley, 24, is extradited from India to finally face trial over the alleged beachside murder
- Toyah Cordingley, 24, was found dead on a beach in north Queensland in 2018
- Her alleged murderer, Rajwinder Singh, 38, fled to India two days after her death
- In November, Indian police revealed they’d tracked him down and arrested him
- On Saturday, an Indian court announced Singh is to be extradited to Australia
A male nurse accused of killing Toya Cordingley in October 2018 will finally be extradited to Australia from India.
Toyah, 24, was found dead on Wangetti Beach in far north Queensland in October 2018 with her alleged killer, Rajwinder Singh, 38, accused of fleeing to India two days after.
After a four-year hunt, he was finally tracked down to a village in India and arrested in November.
An Indian court on Saturday ruled that Singh is to be extradited to Australia to face trial over Toyah’s death.
Rajwinder Singh, 38, was finally tracked down to a village in India and arrested in November
Toyah Cordingley (pictured) was 24 when she was found dead in a shallow grave at Wangetti Beach in October 2018
An Indian court on Saturday ruled that Singh is to be extradited to Australia to face trial over Toyah’s death
‘It’s a heinous offence,’ Ajay Digpaul, the government’s prosecuting counsel, previously told AAP.
‘We will seek to ensure this case proceeds with maximum speed.’
Australian police suspect Singh stabbed Ms Cordingley to death on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, as she took a morning walk with her dog.
Singh boarded a flight to India, leaving his wife and three children, a day after Ms Cordingley was reported missing.
Ms Cordingley’s father found the body of the pharmacy worker half-buried in the sand.
The dog was tied up unharmed to a tree.
Local Indian media report Singh allegedly told Delhi police he got into an argument with Ms Cordingley because her dog barked at him.
The prosecution is ‘very focused on this case,’ Mr Digpaul said.
But Singh ‘will have the right to appeal,’ he added.
In November, Delhi Police shared a photo of the suspect, showing him sporting a turban and long white-streaked beard.
His appearance is completely different to photos that circulated of him after Toyah’s death in 2018.
He was arrested following an extradition request by Australia in 2021 and a $1million reward offered by Queensland authorities earlier this month which attracted the attention of bounty hunters.
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