Eight still in custody over death of Black Country pub boss Suvinder Singh Batth

Jul 31 2009 by Chris Henwood, Birmingham Mail

POLICE have been granted more time to question seven people arrested in connection with the death of a Black Country pub boss.

Officers investigating the death of father-of-four Suvinder Singh Batth, aged 47, have been granted warrants of further detention by magistrates. Mr Batth was gunned down at Gavin’s Sports Bar in Hall Street, Bilston, just after midnight on Tuesday.

A police officer started first aid at the scene and paramedics battled to save Moxley resident Mr Batth, but he was dead on arrival at New Cross Hospital.

A post mortem carried out on Wednesday confirmed that Mr Batth, of Hughes Road, Moxley, died from a single gunshot to the chest.

A 25-year-old man from West Bromwich was arrested yesterday and a 24-year-old Perry Barr man was arrested on Wednesday night. Both were taken into custody on suspicion of murder.

Detectives have also been questioning four men and a woman – aged 21, 21, 22, 23 and 19 respectively – since Tuesday following their arrest on suspicion of murder.

A 23-year-old man arrested on Tuesday was released on police bail yesterday.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Seven people remain in custody in connection with the investigation.