Gagandip Singh was born into a Sikh family in Bexleyheath and was considered a bright, ambitious young man with a future in media.

He had founded Sikh TV, a Sky channel aimed at promoting Sikhism and community issues, in memory of his father.

His father, Amarjit Singh, had died in a violent robbery in India in 2009. The murder deeply affected Gagandip, who reportedly threw himself into media work to honour his father's legacy.

Gagandip was known to be infatuated with Mundill Mahil, a medical student he met through mutual friends.

In summer 2010, Gagandip stayed at Mahil’s Brighton flat, where she later claimed he had sexually assaulted her. She chose not to report it to police but shared the incident with Ravi Shoker, a fellow student and close friend who had unrequited feelings for her.

Shoker took it upon himself to “punish” Gagandip, recruiting Darren Peters to help carry out the attack.

Mahil invited Gagandip back to her flat on 25 February 2011, under the pretence of patching things up.

When Gagandip arrived, he was ambushed by Shoker and Peters, who beat him unconscious with a lamp and a frying pan.

They wrapped his body in a duvet, bundled him into the boot of his own Mercedes, and drove over 50 miles to Blackheath.

There, they doused the car in petrol and set it alight.

A passing ambulance crew spotted the flames and alerted emergency services, but Gagandip could not be saved.

A post-mortem confirmed he was still alive when the fire was started and died from burns and smoke inhalation.

The car fire was so intense that investigators initially struggled to identify the remains.

All three defendants were arrested shortly afterwards, and the trial revealed a complex web of jealousy, revenge, and manipulation.

Gagandip’s family, already devastated by his father’s violent death, were left shattered by the brutality of his murder.

The case drew widespread media attention and was later featured in true crime documentaries.