Channel 4 to air drama on ‘Honeytrap Murder’ of Gagandip Singh
Channel 4 has announced ‘Vengeance: Murder on the Heath’, a two-part factual drama that will revisit the killing of 21-year-old Gagandip Singh in 2011.
The 2 x 60-minute series explores the case that became widely known as the “Honeytrap Murder”, drawing national attention due to the involvement of Singh’s friend Mundill Mahil and the complex relationships at the centre of the crime.
Singh, described as a talented young television entrepreneur and a prominent figure within the British Sikh community, had developed a close friendship with Mahil, a 19-year-old student doctor. However, their relationship deteriorated after Mahil accused him of sexually assaulting her when he reportedly arrived unannounced at her Brighton student house.
According to the programme, Mahil later confided in Harvinder ‘Ravi’ Shoker, who was also in love with her. Together, they devised a plan to lure Singh back to the house, with the intention of teaching him a lesson. The plan escalated violently: after a sustained attack left Singh unconscious, he was placed in the boot of his sister’s car, which was driven to Blackheath, London, and set on fire.
Singh died on Angerstein Lane, with a post-mortem finding that he was alive when the fire was started and ultimately died from inhaling toxic fumes.
The trial that followed placed significant focus on Mahil, who was portrayed as a central and controversial figure despite not being present during the attack itself. She, along with Shoker and accomplice Darren Peters, was charged with murder. However, the three received markedly different convictions and sentences. Shoker was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison, Peters was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years, and Mahil was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and jailed for six years.
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The drama draws on police interviews, text messages, court documents and original testimonies to reconstruct the events leading up to Singh’s death. It aims to provide a deeper and more complex look at the case, examining themes of crime, punishment and the social dynamics within the young British Sikh community.
The cast features a new generation of British Asian actors, including Sasha Desouza-Willock as Mundill Mahil, Dee Ahluwalia as Gagandip Singh and Ikky Kabir as Harvinder ‘Ravi’ Shoker. They are joined by Safiyya Ingar, Gavi Singh Chera and a supporting cast that includes Laila Rouass as Singh’s mother, Shubham Saraf as barrister Aftab Jafferjee and Asim Chaudhry as Singh’s mentor Sonny.
Aysha Rafaele, Writer and Director says: “As a British Asian film maker with a background in documentaries, I am fascinated by real stories from our community that are both specific to the culture but also resonate well beyond it. Everything about the shocking murder of Gagandip Singh and the circumstances surrounding it was to prove extraordinary. How young everyone involved in the case was, how an accusation of attempted rape led to these young people taking the law into their own hands – playing at being God themselves – instead of just going to the police, and how this vigilante style justice backfired so horrifically. It’s a haunting crime that continues to cast a long shadow and I am proud to have been able to work with such a talented young cast of up and coming British Asian actors to bring this devastating story to C4.”
Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4 says: “This powerful and gripping series takes us straight into the hearts and minds of a group of young people navigating a messy world of blurred lines, fear, shame and violence. Aysha Rafaele, who has created and contributed to an astonishing body of work at Channel 4, brings her unique vision and storytelling to an urgent series that asks big questions about modern Britain, what justice means and whether revenge can ever be justified . ‘Vengeance: Murder on the Heath’ will get under your skin, and stay in your mind long after watching.”
