3 cops, 4 Indians charged in slay try on Indian sect head

MANILA, Philippines - A panel of Pasay City prosecutors has found sufficient evidence to charge three Quezon policemen and four Indians with multiple criminal cases before the court in connection with the attack on Indian sect president James Kumar and the killing of his two friends last year.

The respondents named in the case are Chief Inspector Edwin Faycho, former head of the Quezon City Police District anti-drug unit; Police Officer 2 Edmund Faculdar; PO1 Mark Edward Zapata, as well as Indian nationals Gurdanshan Singh, Saudagar Singh, Deepak Kumar (no relation to the victim) and Baldev Singh Brar.

Prosecutors Artemio Puti, Orlando Mariano, and Teresa Cabalum said there is probable cause to try them for direct assault with frustrated murder, attempted murder, and carjacking with double homicide.

Pasay City police filed the case against the respondents in January for the foiled abduction of Kumar and the murder of his friends Andy Ngie and Ferdinand Ret last Dec. 20.

They also face attempted kidnapping and frustrated homicide for the foiled abduction and shooting of Kumar; direct assault and frustrated murder for the shooting of Senior Inspector Renato Apolinario, who came to Kumar’s aid; and car theft for commandeering Ngie’s Mazda Friendee van (BDM-479), which remains missing.

According to the police, Kumar’s group was traversing FB Harrison street when the suspects allegedly blocked their path. Kumar told the police that rivalry over the presidency of the Khalsadiwan Indian Sect Temple in Manila could be the motive behind the attack.

Mariano explained that they did away with the kidnapping charges because their investigation revealed that the motive was to kill and not to abduct.