An Indian-born taxi driver, sentenced to 20 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in 2011, has had his citizenship revoked, announced the Justice Department on Monday, NY Post reported.
The revocation of citizenship, or denaturalization , can solely occur through a ruling by a federal court. This process is intricate and is typically employed only in cases where an individual has deceived the authorities to obtain citizenship or has engaged in serious criminal activities.
As stated in a victim impact statement presented by prosecutors during Singh’s sentencing, the woman awoke to discover the cab driver on top of her, brandishing a knife against her throat and questioning her desire to live. Singh menaced the victim, restrained her with bindings and a gag, covered her eyes with a blindfold, stripped her of her clothing, and sexually assaulted her. Following this, she escaped from his taxi on foot and sought assistance from a passerby.
Gurmeet Singh’s case and arrival in US
Singh first arrived in the United States in February 1992 as a temporary visitor with a six-month visa. He remained in the country without legal authorization for several years until a visa petition submitted by his family enabled him to obtain permanent residency in June 2000. A directive issued last week by Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis requires Singh to submit his citizenship documents, including his naturalization certificate and US passport, by September 16.
