The US has revoked the citizenship of Punjab-origin Gurmeet Singh, a convicted rapist and kidnapper, after a federal court found that he concealed the crimes during his naturalisation process.US Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “American citizenship is not a shield for criminals. Gurmeet Singh, a convicted rapist from India, is no longer a US citizen. He concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalisation process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship.”Singh entered the US in 1992 on a temporary visa and became a permanent resident in 2000.In May 2011, weeks before applying for his citizenship, Singh — then working as a taxicab driver — raped and kidnapped a female passenger.He concealed the crimes during his naturalisation proceedings and was granted a US citizenship in October 2011.Singh was later convicted in New York of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping as a sexually motivated felony. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.The federal court’s August 26 order revoking his citizenship followed a complaint filed by the Justice Department on February 2.Assistant Attorney General Brett A Shumate said Singh had “unlawfully obtained the privileges of US citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts.”US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr said the judgment sends “a strong message to those who obtain citizenship through deceit.”The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and Assistant US Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik for the Eastern District of New York.