A jury has convicted a Fresno businessman in a murder for hire trial. Thursday, 43-year old Daljit Singh Multani was found guilty of solicitation of murder.
Last year, the owner of a local towing and limo service put out a hit on his former business partner, Rama Dawar, after Dawar won a financial lawsuit.
“I am thankful to our legal system and justice has been served,” said Rama Dawar.
Fresno Police got wind of the plan and foiled the attempt by setting up an undercover operation.
“They saved my life,” said Dawar.
This case took a strange turn last fall, just days before it was originally set to go to trial. That's when a police informant, who was scheduled to testify against Singh, was shot near a Clovis home.
Singh's attorney says that evidence was not supposed to come out in the trial. The fact that it did, swayed the jury.
“That was very prejudicial to Mr. Multani. Based on that I think we are entitled to a new trial and I’m looking forward to that,” said Anthony Capozzi, Singh’s attorney.
Dawar says he received death threats while Singh was in jail, so even with this verdict, he has no choice but keep his guard up.
“I will be cautious and I will look over my shoulders,” said Dawar.
Singh faces a maximum of nine years in prison. However, his defense team has already filed a motion for a new trial. A hearing is scheduled for August.
