Four held in carjack stab-death inquiry
Four men are arrested after a motorist was stabbed to death in a carjacking in Essex.
Harjinder Singh Bhurji was sitting in his sports car talking to a female friend when a robber opened the passenger door and dragged her from the vehicle.
Garage owner Mr Bhurji initially tried to hide the keys to under his seat but the robber threatened to harm his friend if he did not hand them over.
He was stabbed as he attempted to retrieve the keys to the black Mercedes CLK coupe and the thief then drove off with the car.
Three suspects, a 20-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old, are being held at an east London police station after being arrested on suspicion of murder, Scotland Yard said. The fourth man is being held for handling stolen goods.
Relatives have spoken of their heartache at the death of the 32-year-old Mr Bhurji from Ilford, Essex, and condemned the killing as “senseless”.
Wedding
Mr Bhurji’s uncle, Narinder Shargill, who has flown from San Francisco to be with his relatives, said the attack was unimaginable.
And the victim’s best friend, Gurmit Birdi, 32, said Mr Bhurji had been due to act as best man at his wedding in India on November 1.
“He was a very nice person, he never did anything wrong. He lived his life and enjoyed his life, he was a happy person. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.
“For his family and friends, this is just unbelievable. I can’t even think straight, God knows what his family are going through.”
The car, registration number R4 JXW, was later found abandoned in Forest Glade, Chingford, Essex.