Slain shopkeeper's wife loses grandfather

GUNPOINT: The three robbers caught in action at the Manurewa liquor store by closed circuit television.

PARENTS OF THREE: slain Auckland shopkeeper Navtej Singh and his wife, Harijnder Kaur. A gunman who shot Singh in his liquor store at the weekend told the wounded man to open the till or he would be shot again. Singh later died in hospital, leaving his three daughters without a father and his wife distraught.

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As police hunting the killers of shopkeeper Navtej Singh raided several south Auckland homes near the liquor store where he was shot, his wife was mourning another family death today.

Jagir Singh, the grandfather of Navtej Singh's wife Harjinder Kaur, died just before midday, five days after Navtej Singh was shot in the Riverton Liquor Store he co-owned in the Randwick Park district of Manurewa.

Daljit Singh of the New Zealand Sikh Society said Jagir Singh's death was almost certainly a result of stress from the shooting of his grandson-in-law.

"He was already very ill and the family didn't want to tell him what happened," he said.

"But a child in the family told him and caused him a lot of grief.

"He was taken to another property for two or three days and he died there. I've been told he didn't stop crying until he died."

A funeral is planned for Friday, the day after Harjinder Kaur farewells her husband.

Father-of-three Navtej Singh was doing what he was told when one of three robbers shot him in the chest about 9pm Saturday, rupturing a major blood vessel and causing massive internal bleeding.

He died in hospital the next day.

Police say family and friends know the identity of the man who shot and killed him.

Police took about 12 people in for questioning following raids this morning on three properties in Randwick Park.

They are looking for three men captured on the store's security footage, one of whom was brandishing a .22 calibre rifle, and a fourth man who drove their getaway car.

They believe the offenders had connections to Randwick Park and inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Jim Gallagher said today's interviews were useful.

But he said they did not get the information they needed to make significant progress towards making an arrest.

"We're not in the home straight yet," Mr Gallagher said.

"All the activity today will mean nothing without the additional information to direct us to who the offenders are.

"We'd like those that know them and those that know what they've done to come forward."

Mr Gallagher would not release details of the conversations for operational reasons but said the raids came as a result of several lines of police inquiry into the shooting and the interviews helped clarify those lines of inquiry.

He repeated yesterday's statement that there was likely to be a connection between the Randwick Park neighbourhood and the offenders, whether through family or friends.

Mr Gallagher said some of those associates would know who the offenders were.

"It is these people who are allowing the four offenders to remain on the streets, therefore remaining unaccountable for the killing of Mr Singh. This is not acceptable to any community."

Mr Gallagher said police have spoken to a man seen taking alcohol after Mr Singh had been shot who put some coins on the counter to pay for it.

But they are still asking four women who came into the store shortly after the shooting to come forward as they may have useful information.

Police were also interested in two vehicles, a dark coloured four door sedan and a white four wheel drive vehicle.

During this morning’s operations residents were not allowed in or out of the street.

Cordons were lifted at about 7am.

Mr Gallagher said restricting access to the road made the inquiry easier.

Randwick Park locals were still shocked at the shooting this morning.

Richard Moeakiola, 32, who found God four years ago after years of smoking cannabis, yesterday prayed for Mr Singh.

"He was a great guy with the smile. It is shocking what has happened."

Several Maori wardens also arrived in the area today to help the community.

George Ngati, the Maori wardens' Auckland regional co-ordinator, said many people were still scared after the shooting.

Yesterday members of then Indian community met south Auckland police while local MP George Hawkins met assistant police commissioner Rob Pope in Wellington.

Mr Singh's funeral will be held at the Manukau Cemetery in Puhinui Rd at 2pm tomorrow.

* Anyone with information is asked to call 0508 RIVERTON or 0508-748-378.

-  With NZPA