Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis said yesterday afternoon postmortem findings showed died as a result of multiple stab wounds inflicted with a sharp instrument.
Mr Singh, 27, was found lying amid shards of glass outside his Hillary St home on Monday morning.
Det Snr Sgt Kroudis said based on his injuries police believed he was killed on Sunday.
Otago Punjabi Association Trust member Narindervir Singh said he spoke to Mr Singh’s family yesterday after police announced the launch of a homicide investigation.
They were still in a ‘‘state of shock’’ but were not surprised by the development, given what they knew about how he died.
‘‘They just have questions and I’m not able to answer those questions.’’
It was difficult for the family being so far away and having to wait so long for his body. Friends of Mr Singh, who shared pizza with him the night police believe he was killed, said they were in a state of shock after learning of the homicide investigation.
The friends, who are migrants from India like Mr Singh was, said they never thought something like this could happen in Dunedin and they were scared.
They previously told the Otago Daily Times that on Sunday night he shared with them his excitement about his wife, whom he married in India in June, moving to New Zealand next month to live at his Hillary St home.
They said he arrived at their flat about 9pm and left between 10.30pm and 11pm.
Neighbour Brenda van Strik said she was not surprised that it had become a homicide investigation.
‘‘The fact that we were seeing more and more police pointed in that direction.
‘‘However, I still feel safe in the area.’’
Another neighbour, who declined to be named, said the situation was ‘‘quite scary’’.
The neighbourhood was usually quiet, but she would begin locking her doors, she said.
Despite the launch of a homicide investigation, police said there was no ongoing safety risk to the public.
