Man accused of child molestation may never face trial
Jan. 5—A former Zionsville resident has been charged with sex crimes against children in Boone County and is under investigation in Johnson County. But prosecution is a long shot as he has fled to India, Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said.
Amardeep "Sunny" Singh, 42, is charged with crimes against three children in Boone County and is being investigated for similar crimes against two additional children in Johnson County, for a total of five victims, Eastwood said Thursday.
Although he's been formally charged, Singh cannot be tried in absentia here "because he was never arrested and given a trial date," Eastwood said. "We'll have to wait until he's arrested and brought back to the United States via the international extradition process."
That can take months or years, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Or, he may never be returned, Eastwood said. Eastwood's office is working with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshal's Office in seeking Singh's overseas arrest and extradition. Even if he's arrested, the Indian government would make the final decision on whether to extradite.
The Zionsville Police Department investigated recent claims made by girls that Singh behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner with them.
Accusations differed among the girls but ranged from molestation, showing some of them child pornography, asking for sexual favors, and exposing himself, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in late December in Boone Superior Court I.
Police opened investigations in September when an acquaintance of Singh reported that girls told her Singh had abused them. The woman and her husband confronted Singh and his two wives at their home and recorded the conversation, ZPS Detective Thomas Beard reported. The witness gave police the recording and electronic messages in which Singh reportedly wrote, "I don't want to hurt anyone ever again and haven't for some time. I want to rid myself of this disease," according to the affidavit.
Singh's legal wife, Preet Singh, filed for divorce in September. His common-law wife, Pardeep Kaur, declined an interview with police, saying she would speak only through her attorney, according to the affidavit.
Police were unable to interview Sunny Singh. Preet told them he fled to India, his phone was disconnected, and his computer was gone, Beard reported.
A Homeland Security Investigations agent later told Beard that Sunny boarded a plane and flew to India shortly after allegations were made, according to the affidavit. Eastwood was not aware of Sunny's immigration or citizenship status on Thursday. Beard listed him as Indian in the affidavit.
Sunny is charged in Boone County with two counts of child molesting, level 4 felonies; sexual misconduct with a minor and child solicitation, both level 5 felonies; and two counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, both level 6 felonies.
"Assuming he's truly left the United States, it will be very difficult to find him and get him back here," Eastwood said. Other suspects who have fled the country have been returned, but not often, he added.
A former Indianapolis Lyft Driver was charged in 2017 with raping a Zionsville woman after taking her home. Nour Bader Mahmoud Albadri was arrested and attended an initial hearing where Boone Superior Court I Judge Matthew Kincaid set bond at $250,000, 10 times the standard, after Boone County Deputy Prosecutor Heidi Jennings said Albadri, a Jordanian national, was a flight risk.
But Albadri, now 28, never went to trial.
"We know he left the United States," Eastwood said. "What has to happen is officials in Jordan would have to agree to take him into custody and give him to us. Then we would bring him back. But in those types of cases, it's a long shot."
Warrants for the arrest of Singh and Albadri stand, and either will be arrested if they attempt to re-enter the United States, Eastwood said.
