Rajwinder Singh faces Melbourne court over Toyah Cordingley murder

The man suspected of murdering the Queensland woman, Toyah Cordingley, will face an extradition hearing in Melbourne after a “determined” and “meticulous” four-year police investigation led to his extradition from India.

Rajwinder Singh is at Melbourne Magistrates Court, where Queensland Police are requesting his extradition to the north on Wednesday for questioning over the murder of Ms Cordingley four years ago.

The 24-year-old woman’s body was found in the sand dunes after she took her dog for a walk on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in October 2018.

Toyah Cordingley (pictured) was just 24 when she was found dead in a shallow grave in the sand dunes at Wangetti Beach in October 2018.

Singh landed at Melbourne airport with a police escort on a Qantas flight from New Delhi at around 12:40pm on Wednesday before being taken to court.

Detective Inspector Sonia Smith said the extradition of the 38-year-old woman is the culmination of a “determined” and “meticulous” effort to get police to bring justice for Cordingley and her family.

“We have been determined to find answers for Toyah’s family and the work of all involved has been meticulous since that terrible day in October 2018,” he said in a statement.

“It’s been a long journey, including the announcement of the $1 million information reward, the largest in Queensland history, in November last year.

“Our thoughts, and I know those of the tight-knit Cairns community, have always been and will always be with the Toyah family.”

Mr Singh, a local nurse and Australian citizen, boarded a flight to India hours after Ms Cordingley’s body was found in 2018, leaving his wife and three children at their Innisfail home.

Toyah had driven to Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, to walk her dog. she never came home

Then, the federal deputy attorney general, Amanda Stoker, issued an arrest warrant to Indian authorities for an unidentified suspect in the case in May 2021.

The Queensland government then offered a record $1 million reward for information leading to Singh’s capture in November 2022 with three police officers flying to India to follow up on any leads.

Singh was then arrested by Indian police in New Delhi about a month later, before an Indian judge ordered his extradition to Australia.

“Together with other Australian agencies, we have continued to work closely and respectfully with the Indian authorities to seek justice for Toyah and her family,” added Det Insp Smith.

‘The relationship QPS has with Australian and other law enforcement agencies once again demonstrates the importance of partnerships internationally.’

Det Insp Smith said the $1 million reward has yet to be issued but will be “fully considered” after due diligence.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was grateful that a police investigation had led to Singh’s extradition and a chance at justice.

“It’s been phenomenal to track down this person in India and do the extradition here,” he told reporters in Rockhampton.

“And hopefully it will give Toyah’s family a sense of comfort in knowing that the police did everything they could to bring justice.”