← Back to England casesLakhvinder Cheema and Gurjeet Chohan Allegedly Murdered by Lakhvir Singh, West London, London, England
Case Summary
Lakhvinder Cheema died in West London after aconite was allegedly mixed into curry eaten by him and his fiancée, Gurjeet Chohan. The source reports that Cheema's former lover, Lakhvir Singh, had maintained a long-term affair with him while married, became distressed when he planned to marry Gurjeet, and allegedly carried out an earlier poisoning attempt in December 2008 before the fatal January 28, 2009 attack. Singh was convicted of murdering Cheema and attempting to murder Gurjeet and received a life sentence on February 11, 2010.
Basic Information
Country: England
State/Province: London, England
City/Region: West London
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Love triangle
Relationship Duration: Approximately 15 years (affair)
Affair / New-Partner Context
Recorded context: New relationship started
Reported initiator: Victim
Relationship timing: During marriage or ongoing partnership, before separation
Incident Date: Jan. 28, 2009
Incident Sequence and Additional Victims
Primary reported outcome: Homicide
Reported self-harm outcome: No suicide or attempt reported
Reported sequence: Order not reported / unclear
Additional victims reported: 1
Additional victim events:
- Gurjeet Chohan — Romantic rival; Attempted harm; survived; Same episode; order unclear
Relationship Journey
Relationship Origins:
- Family introduction
Relationship Stages:
- Engaged
- Separated
- Married Living Separately
- Love Marriage
- Police report filed
Analysis
Contributing Factors:
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Conflict
- Family pressure
- Suspicion of infidelity
Red Flags:
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Divorce Pending / Recent Separation
Motives:
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Eliminate romantic rival
- Eliminate romantic partner
Relationship Outcomes:
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before marriage
- Weapon recovery
- Deadbody recovery
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Lakhvinder Cheema and Gurjeet Chohan Allegedly Murdered by Lakhvir Singh, West London, London, England
Relationship Journey Graph
Origin
- Family introduction
How the relationship or connection began.
Status
- Love triangle
Approximately 15 years (affair)
Stages
- Engaged
- Separated
- Married Living Separately
- Love Marriage
- Police report filed
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Warning Signals
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Divorce Pending / Recent Separation
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Pressure Points
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Conflict
- Family pressure
- Suspicion of infidelity
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Eliminate romantic rival
- Eliminate romantic partner
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
Incident
2009-01-28
Outcome
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before marriage
- Weapon recovery
- Deadbody recovery
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
AI Intelligence Assessment
Relationship Pattern
Romantic Triangle
Pattern Analysis
The reported conflict centered on a long-term extramarital relationship that ended when Cheema became engaged to Gurjeet through family arrangements. Singh allegedly responded to the threatened loss of the relationship with surveillance, threats, an initial poisoning attempt, and a later fatal poisoning. The case combines jealousy, relationship transition, family pressure, and alleged deliberate escalation.
Investigative Notes
Police initially faced uncertainty because Cheema's cause of death was not immediately known. Investigators examined leftover curry, herbal substances found in Singh's coat pocket and handbag, hospital symptoms, toxicology results, and botanical analysis by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The source reports that the curry and seized herbs were linked and identified as Indian aconite, associated with Aconitum ferox. Singh stood trial at the Central Criminal Court, was found guilty on February 11, 2010, and was sentenced to life imprisonment for Cheema's murder and the attempted murder of Gurjeet.
Investigation Confusion
The main early uncertainty concerned the identity of the poison and the medical cause of death. Doctors and investigators initially knew the victims had been poisoned but could not identify the substance. Gurjeet's symptom account, historical descriptions of aconite poisoning, toxicology, and botanical comparison resolved much of that uncertainty.
Case Reconstruction / Puzzle Pieces
The source describes Singh as maintaining a roughly 15-year affair with Cheema while remaining married. When Cheema's family arranged his engagement to 19-year-old Gurjeet, he ended the affair, after which Singh reportedly spied on the couple and threatened to burn Cheema's home. Singh allegedly traveled to India in October 2008 and returned with aconite. A first poisoning attempt on December 8 caused illness but did not kill the couple. On January 28, 2009, she allegedly used access to Cheema's home to mix the herb into curry. Cheema died after developing severe poisoning symptoms, while Gurjeet survived. Investigators connected the food residue, seized herbs, symptoms, and botanical evidence, leading to Singh's conviction.
Risk Assessment
The source reports a serious escalation pathway from a secret long-term affair and relationship-ending threats to surveillance, an earlier poisoning attempt, and a later fatal attack. The reported access to the victim's home, preparation of poison, and repeated targeting of both Cheema and Gurjeet represented severe danger. This assessment is source-limited and does not independently establish motive beyond the reported evidence and conviction.
Key Takeaways
The reported warning pattern included a concealed long-term affair, distress over an impending breakup, surveillance of the former partner, threats against his home, and a prior poisoning episode before the fatal attack. The case also illustrates how family-arranged relationship transitions can become a flashpoint when they end an existing attachment. For historical comparison, the strongest intelligence value lies in the documented escalation, repeated targeting, access to the victim's home, and forensic linkage between food and seized plant material.
AI Case Q&A
What early signals mattered most?
The most important reported early signals were Singh's refusal to accept the breakup, attempts to continue the affair after Cheema's engagement, surveillance of Cheema and Gurjeet, threats to burn the house, and the December 2008 poisoning attempt.
Which clues helped connect the case?
The reported clues included the victims' similar symptoms, Cheema's report that he believed he had been poisoned, Gurjeet's account of facial numbness, the leftover curry, herbal material found in Singh's belongings, Singh's access to Cheema's home, and evidence that the plant was Indian aconite.
Which evidence types appeared strongest?
The strongest reported evidence consisted of toxicological analysis linking the curry and seized herbal material, clinical symptoms consistent with aconite poisoning, botanical confirmation by Kew, the victims' medical records, Gurjeet's account, and evidence concerning Singh's access and actions at the house.
Witness / Eyewitness Statements
Cheema reportedly telephoned his sister and emergency services, saying he believed his girlfriend had poisoned him. His sister and her two sons helped take him to hospital. Gurjeet reportedly described Cheema's facial and lip numbness and later testified about the frightening experience. The source also reports that Singh was seen going to the refrigerator and that investigators observed food tampering.
How did follow-up reports change the understanding?
Follow-up investigation changed the understanding from an unexplained illness and uncertain death to a suspected deliberate poisoning. Gurjeet's survival and symptom account narrowed the poison to aconite, while toxicology and botanical testing identified Indian aconite and linked the seized material to the curry. The later trial and conviction established the reported legal outcome.
What remained unclear?
The source leaves some details unclear, including the exact quantity of poison used, the full account of the December poisoning, Singh's precise state of mind, and whether every reported motive was independently proven. It also does not provide a detailed account of the arrest or the complete trial evidence beyond the summarized forensic and relationship evidence.