London: A 35-year-old Indian-origin shopkeeper was shot dead by robbers at his shop in Manchester in the UK, police said. Pragaret Singh, a father of three young children, was killed when he confronted two robbers who attacked him as he closed his shop for the night. Singh was found with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and chest at Manchester Food Traders in the Openshaw suburb yesterday.
Detectives said Singh, known to family and friends as Charlie, is believed to have grappled with at least one of the men before being shot. Singh died later in a hospital. Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "Although this investigation remains in its infancy, at this stage we believe Charlie's death was the result of simply trying to protect his business from armed robbers, during which he was shot at least twice." The robbers are believed to have made off with a "large amount of money".
Armed officers swooped on the scene in Wood Street, east Manchester, yesterday and found Singh, from Swinton, lying nearby. Chadwick added that Singh's family had been left absolutely and utterly distraught" at his murder. He said: "At this stage of our inquiry we believe this is the tragic death of an innocent businessman and father-of- three who was simply trying to protect his livelihood from criminals. As a result, Charlie's entire family have suffered an unimaginable loss. Their lives have been shattered and specially-trained officers will be providing as much support as the family need over the coming days and weeks," Chadwick said.
Singh's brother Toggy told the Manchester Evening News his brother was a hard-working family man with a wife, Sukhwinder, and children aged two, five and seven. Assistant Chief Constable Zoe Sheard said there would be a visible police presence in the area for the coming days and weeks. "I would also urge people to ensure their security measures are in place, such as making sure any CCTV is working, looking out for anyone suspicious hanging around the area and being aware of your surroundings when locking up," he added.
