Ilford stabbing: Three Indian nationals named as victims
Police seek witnesses to an alleged triple killing in East London, saying the victims lived in the area and were Indian nationals.
Friday 24 January 2020 15:53, UK
Three men who were stabbed to death in Ilford on Saturday have been named, as police seek witnesses to the killings.
Authorities said the fatal clash escalated from a fight between groups of Sikh and Hindu men in Elmstead Road in Seven Kings.
Detectives have named the men as 29-year-old Narinder Singh Lubhaya; 30-year-old Harinder Kumar, and 37-year-old Malkit Singh Dhillon - known to people in the UK as Baljinder Singh.
Officers responded to reports of the disturbance shortly after 7:30pm and the three men were pronounced dead at the scene.
All three men were living in the area and were Indian nationals.
Their next of kin have all been informed and are being supported by officers.
Two men were arrested following the deaths.
The first man, who remains under investigation in relation to the murders, is 29-year-old Gurjeet Singh, of Ilford.
Singh was charged on Tuesday with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
He appeared at Redbridge Magistrates' Court on Wednesday and has been remanded in custody to reappear in court on 19 February.
The second man has since been eliminated from enquiries.
Lead investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine, called for witnesses to the fight.
"I know that people were present when the attack occurred; I urge them to come forward," he said.
"This is a dreadful incident that has shocked the local community. I need their help to piece together exactly what happened and the events that led up to it."
Enquiries into the motive continue, but they are not thought to be gang-related.
Officers said they do not expect to arrest anyone else over the killing.
Jas Athwal, leader of Redbridge Council, previously said he believes the incident to be isolated, calling it "unheard of" in the local Sikh community.
So far in 2020 there have been six homicides in the capital. Last year there were 149, a rise from 133 in 2018, despite a drop nationally.
Anyone with relevant information to call the incident room on 020 8345 3865 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.