Afghan Teen Mistakenly Murdered in London Street
(MENAFN) In November 2021, Rishmeet Singh, a 16-year-old Afghan boy seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, was killed in a case of mistaken identity by two 17-year-old teenagers on a London street. According to The Independent, Singh had moved to Britain with his mother and grandmother two years earlier after his father was killed by the Taliban.
Vanushan Balakrishnan and Ilyas Suleiman, both 17 at the time, were identified as Singh’s killers through CCTV footage. The court found that they chased him down, leaving him defenseless on the ground, and stabbed him 15 times in a 27-second attack. Singh had left his friends after an evening socializing in west London when he saw the two teenagers running towards him. He tried to return to his friends, shouting “run, run,” but tripped and was stabbed in the back by one of the attackers at least five times. The second attacker then caught up to Singh, stabbing him at least 10 times. The two attackers left the scene of the attack.
Despite the efforts of police and ambulance workers, Singh died at the scene of the attack. During the investigation, an image of a bloody knife was found on Balakrishnan’s phone, captured on the evening of the attack. The Old Bailey is set to sentence both Balakrishnan and Suleiman on April 28.
Singh’s murder highlights the ongoing issue of violence and hate crimes in the UK. The case also illustrates the challenges faced by those seeking asylum, who often flee their home countries to escape persecution and violence, only to encounter similar dangers in the countries they seek refuge.
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