The 33-year-old Delhi man arrested for allegedly killing a Swiss woman had promised precious gemstones and offered astrology tricks to other foreign women too to befriend them, police sources said on Thursday.

Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Janakpuri, told interrogators he was in touch with multiple foreign women apart from Nina Berger, whose body was found near an MCD-run school on October 20 with limbs tied with a chain.

Singh’s father has a business of gemstones and astrology in west Delhi. He is currently believed to be in Paris.

The police suspect Gurpreet Singh learned astrology from his father and used it to lure foreign women. He used the same trick to befriend Berger and lure her to come to India, they suspect.

She came to India on October 11 and stayed in two different hotels in west Delhi. “In the first, she stayed till October 16. Then she shifted to another hotel, where we believe, she stayed before being killed by Gurpreet on October 18. The decomposed body of Berger was recovered from near a school in Tilak Nagar on October 20,” a police officer said.

He said Singh’s chats with other foreign women have been retrieved from his two mobile phones, but he has deleted his chats with Berger. He has visited foreign countries, including Switzerland, multiple times, the police said.

“There are chats recovered from his mobile phone where he has talked with several women about gemstones and astrology. It is suspect he would lure them for friendship by offering them precious stones or using astrology tricks,” the officer said.

The police said they have recovered Berger’s iPhone too, but have not been able to unlock it. They are taking the help of cyber experts.

Singh’s family owns multiple properties in various parts of Delhi but the trail of huge cash recovered from his house is yet to be investigated.

The police has managed to reach out to the family of Berger in Zurich, via the Embassy of Switzerland. But they said they cannot come to India. Her body has been kept at a mortuary in a west Delhi hospital.

The police wanted the family to come to India for identification, so that the process of postmortem examination could be started. But now the police wait for an NOC (no-objection certificate) from the Swiss Embassy.

Since the identification of the body is a crucial part in investigation, the police plan to take the help of DNA and biometric process.

From the hotel where Berger stayed, the police have recovered a trolley bag carrying articles which are believed to be belonging to her. The DNA match of the dead body could be done with the recovered articles, an official said.

Berger used to work with a law firm in Switzerland.

A school teacher from West Bengal’s Asansol has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2023, which includes participants from 130 different countries. Deep Narayan Nayak’s innovative teaching methods, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, have had a significant positive impact on underprivileged children. The Global Teacher Prize recognizes exceptional educators with a $1 million award for their outstanding contributions to the field.

Known as the ‘Teacher of the Streets,’ Mr Nayak teaches at the Tilka Manjhi Adivasi Free Primary School in Jamuria, Asansol. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he took education outdoors to bridge the digital divide affecting disadvantaged children living below the poverty line in remote areas. Mr Nayak transformed mud walls into blackboards and roads into classrooms, providing education to those who might otherwise have been left behind.

I’m incredibly grateful and humbled to be chosen as a top 10 finalist for the 2023 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, supported by UNESCO and Dubai Cares. Thank you, @varkeyfdn, @UNESCO, and @DubaiCares, for this incredible honor. ?? #GlobalTeacherPrize2023 #Education pic.twitter.com/jMAUh7MtVm

— Deep Narayan Nayak (@DeepNarayanNay2) October 26, 2023

He also made efforts to educate parents, particularly mothers and grandmothers, with the goal of breaking the cycle of illiteracy and improving the prospects of first-generation learners. His teaching techniques have not only increased literacy rates but have also contributed to the eradication of superstitions and the creation of employment opportunities.
 

Mr Nayak has developed programmes to address issues such as malnutrition, child exploitation, and early marriages. His ‘Fantastic Three-Dimensional Model’ has created educational and employment opportunities, and his Mothers’ Football Team promotes sportsmanship, gender equality, and global peace.

His focus on sustainability and environmental awareness not only deters the use of plastic but also encourages tree planting. Moreover, his ‘Teacher at Your Doorstep’ programme has offered guidance to students and their parents, aiming to decrease absenteeism and curb school dropouts.

As per the World University Rankings 2024 by subject, the best institutions for engineering this year continue to be Harvard University and Stanford University from the United States. 

Imperial College London moves into the top 10, taking the tenth spot. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are the two other UK institutions in this group. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University occupy the third, sixth, seventh and eighth position respectively.  

The top 10 list features six US universities and one from Singapore. The US has five more universities in the top 300 this year compared with last year. 

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) in South Korea is the highest new entrant, ranking in the 201-250 band. Across the full table, the US, Japan and India are the most-represented nations. 

The ranking highlights the universities that are leading across disciplines such as general engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, civil engineering, and chemical engineering.  

The table this year includes 1,374 universities, up from 1,306 last year. 

Visit the official website of Times Higher Education to check the complete list of colleges ranked in the Engineering section.