California highway named after Indian-origin officer killed in line of duty

CALIFORNIA: The US state of California has named a highway stretch after 33-year-old Indian-origin police officer Ronil Singh, who was shot dead by an “illegal immigrant” while conducting a traffic stop back in 2018, US-based ‘The Modesto Bee’ reported on Tuesday.

The stretch of Highway 33 in Newman was dedicated to Ronil Singh. A signage proclaiming the ‘Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway’ was unveiled at a ceremony at Highway 33 and Stuhr Road on September 3.

Singh’s wife, Anamika, and their son, Arnav, who was just 5 months old when his father was killed. Along with them, other family members and Newman Police Department colleagues were present at the ceremony. They were joined by county supervisor Channce Condit, state Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, US Representative John Duarte and Assemblyman Juan Alanis, The Modesto Bee reported.

Among the several messages written on the back of the sign included Arnav’s, stating “Love you Papa.”

California state assemblyman Juan Alanis posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the unveiling of the highway and paid his respects to the Indian-origin officer.

“Today the community came together to honor the memory of Cpl. Ronil Singh, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in December 2018. The memorial highway sign was unveiled today and will be displayed on Highway 33 and Stuhr Road,” Alanis said on X.

He added, “I was honoured to pay my respects to my former law enforcement colleague, and may his memory live on forever”.

California Senator Alvarado-Gil in a Facebook post, praised the “dedication and commitment” of Corporal Ronil Singh and said that the slain officer will always be a ‘hero’.

“Today, a promise that was made has finally been brought to life. The Newman community honoured the late Corporal Singh for his dedication and commitment to putting his life on the line for the safety of others. The community came in numbers, showering the Singh family with love and support as they finally got to see this project come to life. Corporal Ronil Singh will always be a hero. Slide right to see the beautiful sign located on Highway 33 in his memory,” she wrote on Facebook.

Corporal Ronil Singh, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in 2018 by an illegal immigrant named Gustavo Perez Arriaga when he was planning to flee to his native Mexico. Arriaga pleaded guilty to his crime, and was sentenced to life in prison, The Modesto Bee reported.

Earlier, Singh was also praised by former President Donald Trump back in 2019, who described him as a ”national hero”. Trump also spoke to his wife and colleague of the slain officer. He said that America’s heart broke the day the young officer was “savagely murdered” in cold blood by an “illegal alien”. (ANI)