On 26 November 1999, Shaikh Rahman, a Muslim garment merchant was beaten and had his hands severed, before being burned to death at Padiabeda village by more than 20 men armed with machetes. His body was then set aflame and incinerated, to prevent his family members from recovering it and the garment stall was also set ablaze. Singh and his associate, Buluram Mohanty was indicted in connection with this killing. In October 2007, Singh was convicted of the murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment, while the 23 others were acquitted on grounds of insufficient evidence.