Mayor's Old Reference Sparks Resignation Calls

0:00It's March 31st, welcome in. This is Sydney News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Windom City Mayor Preet Singh is catching heat just days into the job after admitting he wrote a character reference for his friend, Kashiya Patel, back in April 2024. Patel faced charges for grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, later pleading guilty and landing a nine-month jail sentence. Singh signed it as a justice of the peace, calling Patel trustworthy despite the charges. A state liberal candidate, Dinesh Gurur's 80, got caught in the same mess, providing his own reference for Patel and stepping down from his. Preselection on Monday. Singh had just been elected mayor on March 24th, replacing a suspended predecessor, and this old reference is now blowing up big time. Counselors in Windom are piling on, with some urging Singh to resign both behind closed doors and out in the open. One counselor from Williams Landing Ward said his constituents are demanding Singh step

1:01down his mayor right away. Most others stay quiet when reached for common. Singh owns it as a serious error in judgment, saying he did it in good faith before joining counsel and regrets not grasping the full weight of the charges. He apologized to the victim, stressing these offenses are never okay, but pushed back on what he calls an unfair media trial, turning political. Singh plans to drop a full statement soon, but with pressure mounting from his own team, his short mayoral run hangs in the balance as the counsel watches close.