Swiss woman was smothered, struggled to breathe for 20 mins

According to reports, Berger and Singh met in 2021 while he was visiting relatives in Switzerland. Police said her post-mortem examination was conducted without her parents’ presence as they didn’t come to Delhi. Sources said she and her parents had not been in touch for years.

Singh allegedly called Berger to India and took her on a “surprise ride” in a second-hand Santro car and later killed her. Her body was kept in the same car for two days before Singh allegedly dumped it near an MCD-run school in west Delhi. During interrogation, police found that Singh allegedly took Berger in the car in the name of showing her an “astrological trick” and convinced her to get chained.

“Initially, we thought she was strangulated but the preliminary report suggests she died of asphyxia by smothering,” a police source said.

The source said Berger was also tortured inside the car. “The doctor told us that she was first smothered using a plastic bag. Her limbs were tied with chains so she couldn’t get out. She struggled for a long time and even tore the car seat fabric with her nails,” added the source.

A police officer said, “Singh must have tied her by tricking her. After that, he smothered her with the bag. The chains helped as she couldn’t fight back. Doctors said she struggled for 20-30 minutes.”

Singh and his father run a gemstone shop in west Delhi and own multiple properties in and around the national capital. “Initially, Singh said he killed her because she rejected his advances and refused to marry him. We now feel that he killed her because he suspected her of having an affair with someone else. They had fights over this. He accused her of dating other men in Zurich. We are also looking at a money angle. We think she owed him some money during one of his trips to Zurich (where she lived) and he was upset that she never paid the money back. He had performed some astrological trick or healing at her place for which he demanded money,” added the officer.

Meanwhile, Singh was produced before a court on Monday which extended his custody by five days.
DCP Vichitra Veer (West) said “The accused was produced in the court on Monday and they extended his custody by five days again. We have been in touch with the Embassy of Switzerland and had managed to get Berger’s fingerprints through the official channel. When matched with those of the deceased, the match was successful. The body was handed over to the person authorised by the embassy on Monday.”