Teen charged with murder of Indian security guard in New Zealand

A 17-year-old teenager was charged on Friday in connection with the murder of a 25-year-old Indian security guard in a suburb of West Auckland in New Zealand.

Ramandeep Singh was reported unresponsive just after midnight on December 18 and was pronounced dead after being found at the Royal Reserve carpark in Massey, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.

Born and raised in Kotli Shahpur village in Gurdaspur, Punjab, Singh had moved to New Zealand on a study visa in 2018 to pursue higher education.

He was his parents' only son.

The latest arrest comes after a 26-year-old man was taken into custody on Monday and also charged with Singh's murder.

"Singh's family have been advised of the latest arrest," Detective Inspector Aaron Proctor said, adding that two people are now before the courts in connection with Singh's murder.

"Our investigation team has been working hard, day and night, to bring justice for Mr Singh whose life was senselessly cut short while he was going about his job. We are continuing to piece together the events leading up to his murder in the early hours of Monday morning," Proctor said.

Armourguard, the company which employed Singh, said its community "has been shattered" by the sudden loss of Singh, who leaves behind a broken family and friends in mourning.

"We send our sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Ramandeep and are offering our full support to them during this difficult time," the company wrote in a social media post.

"For his parents, he wasn't just a son; he was their only son, the pride of their lives. His death serves as a reminder of the risks our security personnel face every day when they go to work," the post said, adding that Singh had "dreams that extended beyond the borders of his homeland".

Singh's company is also contributing to the costs of returning Singh to his family in India, and has established a Givealittle page to raise funds for his family.

(With inputs from IANS)