US revokes citizenship of convicted rapist after 15 years
Following a federal court decision, the US citizenship of an Indian-origin taxi driver, who was convicted of severe crimes committed in 2011, has been officially revoked.
The US administration has revoked the citizenship of Gurmeet Singh, an Indian-origin taxi driver who kidnapped and knife-raped a woman in 2011 and concealed these crimes while obtaining citizenship, following a federal court ruling.
Revocation of Citizenship
According to the statement issued by the United States Department of Justice, the citizenship of Gurmeet Singh, an Indian-origin taxi driver sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes committed in 2011, has been revoked.
The Course of the Crime
Gurmeet Singh took a female passenger who fell asleep in his taxi to an isolated spot just before filing his citizenship application in May 2011. Singh tied her up by holding a knife to her throat and raped her, and concealed the events that came to light when the victim escaped in the early hours to seek help from authorities during the citizenship process.
Legal Process and Conviction
The denaturalization process was carried out following the decision issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Singh, who obtained citizenship on October 19, 2011 by concealing his crimes, was tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison in New York for first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping.
Statements from Authorities
US Attorney Todd Blanche emphasized that American citizenship is not a shield for criminals, stating that Singh concealed his crimes during the application process. Deputy Attorney General Brett Shumate stated that the defendant unfairly obtained citizenship rights by hiding his serious criminal acts.