The United States has revoked the citizenship of India-born Gurmeet Singh, a former taxi driver serving a 20-year prison sentence for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in 2011, the US Justice Department said.
The US District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an order cancelling Singh's naturalisation following a complaint filed earlier by the Justice Department.
Citizenship can be revoked through denaturalisation only after a federal court issues an order. The process is generally used when citizenship has been obtained by misleading authorities or in cases involving serious crimes.
Singh Concealed Crime During Citizenship Process
Singh entered the US in February 1992 on a temporary visit that was supposed to last no more than six months. He remained in the country without authorisation for several years before obtaining permanent residency in June 2000 through a family-based immigrant visa petition.
In May 2011, shortly before submitting his US citizenship application, Singh was working as a taxi driver when he picked up a female passenger who had fallen asleep while travelling home.
According to the Justice Department release, he drove her to an isolated location. When she woke up, Singh was on top of her with a knife at her throat.
He allegedly threatened, tied, gagged and blindfolded the woman before removing her clothes and sexually assaulting her. The woman later managed to escape from the taxi and sought help from a person on the street at dawn.
Singh did not disclose the crimes during the naturalisation process and became a US citizen on October 19, 2011, according to the release.
Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison
Singh was subsequently convicted in New York of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping as a sexually motivated felony.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said Singh had lost his US citizenship following the federal court's order.
“American citizenship is not a shield for criminals…He concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship,” he said.
This convicted rapist from India is no longer a U.S. citizen.
— Attorney General Todd Blanche (@AGToddBlanche) August 31, 2026
Gurmeet Singh concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship. @TheJusticeDept took this case across the finish line, and we will continue to… pic.twitter.com/EpfLmCtrSF
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division said Singh had wrongfully obtained the benefits of US citizenship by concealing serious criminal acts.
The denaturalisation order followed the Justice Department's earlier filing of a complaint against Singh.
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