Ranjodh Singh to be cremated in Melbourne on Wednesday

The body of 25-year-old Indian national Ranjodh Singh, which was found in a partially-burnt state in Australia's New South Wales province over two months ago, will finally be cremated on Wednesday here in the presence of his family members.

The body was flown from New South Wales to Melbourne with the help of the Federation of Indian Association of Victoria (FIAV) for the last rites.

Singh's relatives have already arrived here from India to attend the cremation which will take place on Wednesday, FIAV president Vasan Srinivasan told PTI here today.    

The FIAV and funeral director here have arranged for the cremation, he said. 

Singh's partially-charred body was found on December 29 last year on a roadside near Griffith in New South Wales. An Indian couple, who police said worked as seasonal fruit pickers, were later arrested in connection with the murder. 

Singh was last seen on the streets of Griffith three nights before his body was found. He was working in a farm where he picked pumpkins and was living in a shared house with other farm workers from India.

Media reports earlier said Singh had joined a group of friends for pizza at a restaurant on the last night he was seen. The group finished their pizza and went to a party at a nearby flat.

They drank grappa and some time before midnight a fight broke out at the party over monetary issues, following which Singh was found dead, the reports had said.