Indian student buried alive by ex-boyfriend in Aus in 'act of revenge', court hears

Melbourne, July 6 (IANS) A 21-year-old Indian student in Australia, murdered in 2021, was bound by cable ties and buried alive by her former boyfriend in an "act of revenge", according to the new details emerging on the case.

Jasmeen Kaur was stalked and abducted by Tarikjot Singh, 23, from her workplace in North Plympton in 2021 and driven to Flinders Ranges where she was murdered and buried in a shallow grave.

Tarikjot, who pleaded guilty to murder in February this year, was obsessed with Jasmeen and wanted to marry her, according to the victim’s mother.

According to ABC News, in sentencing submissions in the South Australian supreme court on Wednesday, Prosecutor Carmen Matteo SC said Jasmeen was forced to endure "absolute terror" after she was abducted by Singh from her workplace on March 5, 2021.

The court heard that the nursing student experienced an "uncommon level of cruelty" after she was abducted by Tarikjot, bound with tape and cable ties, and buried alive while blindfolded and conscious.

Outlining the details of Tarikjot's crime, Matteo told the court that he made "superficial" cuts to Jasmeen's throat, but they did not cause her death.

Instead, a post-mortem report showed that Jasmeen died on March 6, 2021.

"(It was) a killing that was committed as an act of vengeance or as an act of revenge."

Hours before the murder, Tarikjot was caught on CCTV buying gloves, cable ties and a shovel from a hardware store.

The court heard he planned the killing because he was unable to get over the breakdown of their relationship.

Martin Anders, representing Tarikjot, said after the relationship breakdown, his reasoning was "gravely impaired" and he had started to experience hallucinations after Jasmeen's death.

But Justice Adam Kimber said Tarikjot "was punishing her (Jasmeen) for having been rejected", and imposed a mandatory life sentence, with a non-parole period to be set next month.

In South Australia, murder carries a mandatory minimum 20-year non-parole period.