Teen Killers Convicted Over Brutal Stabbing of 16-Year-Old Rishmeet Singh
Two 18-year-olds from Hillingdon have been found guilty of the savage murder of 16-year-old Rishmeet Singh. Vanushan Balakrishnan and Ilyas Suleiman were convicted at the Old Bailey on Monday, 6 March, after a chilling attack that left the teenager dead.
Cold-Blooded Murder on Southall Streets
On 24 November 2021, Rishmeet was walking home after a night out with friends in Southall when he was suddenly chased down by Balakrishnan and Suleiman. The pair, armed with knives and disguised with hoods and face masks, stabbed Rishmeet a shocking 15 times while he was helpless on the ground. The entire assault lasted less than 30 seconds.
Detective Inspector Laura Semple blasted the killers: “Rishmeet was an innocent young boy, wrongly targeted and brutally murdered in cold blood. There’s never an excuse for such violence.”
A Tragic Life Cut Short
Rishmeet’s family fled war-torn Afghanistan in 2019 after his father was murdered by the Taliban and an attempt was made to kidnap him. His mother Gulinder shared a heartbreaking tribute:
“Rishmeet was my only child with his whole life ahead of him. I have lost everything. I will never see him grow up, go to college, learn to drive, or get married. They have taken my whole life away.”
Rishmeet was studying Public Services at college with dreams of becoming a police officer and helping others.
Premeditated Attack and Cover-Up
Balakrishnan and Suleiman spent the day with others at a flat before gearing up for murder. They changed clothes, armed themselves with knives, and donned masks to hide their identities. CCTV footage tracked their movements, showing them stalking Rishmeet and fleeing the scene on bikes after the attack.
Balakrishnan’s phone revealed chilling details: notes and lyrics describing the murder, images of a bloodstained knife, and searches of news reports about Rishmeet’s death. Both killers were mistaken in their target, believing Rishmeet belonged to a gang, when he did not.
Justice for Rishmeet
Despite attempts to hide, Suleiman was caught days later after going into hiding and changing his appearance. Both young men will be sentenced on 28 April at the Old Bailey.
Detectives praised the bravery of Rishmeet’s family throughout the trial and confirmed their commitment to bringing violent offenders to justice.
