In short:
A protest will be held tomorrow, 1 April at the Wyndham Civic Centre in Werribee calling for Mayor Preet Singh to step down as pressure grows over a character reference controversy. A public statement and viral letter have intensified calls for him to resign.
Wyndham Advertiser
Protesters Set to Descend on Civic Centre
A protest will be held at the Wyndham Civic Centre in Werribee tomorrow, 1 April at 5pm, calling on Wyndham Mayor Preet Singh to step down.
It follows a dramatic escalation within 48 hours of the Liberal Party’s Western Metropolitan upper house preselection, where Dinesh Gourisetty defeated sitting MP Moira Deeming on Sunday, before a character reference scandal erupted the next morning.
By Monday, it was revealed Gourisetty had provided a character reference for Kashyap Patel, a man later jailed after pleading guilty to sex and grooming offences involving a 15-year-old girl.
The controversy quickly widened to Wyndham, after it emerged Mayor Preet Singh had also provided a character reference for Patel prior to being elected to council in late 2024. Singh and Gourisetty were understood to be factional allies within the Liberal Party at the time.
Organisers say the protest is aimed at holding elected officials to account, arguing the issue goes directly to judgement and leadership in public office.
Residents are expected to gather outside council headquarters in Werribee, with calls for Singh to stand down as mayor intensifying in the lead-up to the demonstration.
Letter Likely Nail in Coffin
Wyndham Mayor Preet Singh is facing mounting pressure after details of a character reference he provided for Kashyap Patel in April 2024 emerged.
On 30 March, Singh issued a statement addressing the reference, saying: “I provided a character reference in April 2024 prior to Mr Patel pleading guilty.
On reflection I accept that this showed very poor judgement. Any offences of this nature are never acceptable, and I acknowledge the distress Mr Patel’s actions must have caused for his victims.”
On 31 March, the reference itself went viral, revealing further details of the letter bearing his Justice of the Peace signature.
In the letter, Singh acknowledged Patel’s actions, writing that he was “extremely regretful for what he has done” and describing the offending as a “one-off event.”
The contents of the reference have since drawn criticism and intensified scrutiny over Singh’s judgement.
Multiple councillors are understood to be considering a no confidence motion, with concerns centring on leadership and credibility as pressure builds within council ranks.
The situation leaves open whether Singh will step down or face a formal challenge from within council.
Singh was the Liberal candidate for Tarneit in the 2022 State Election, elected to council in 2024 and as Deputy Mayor in 2025.
This scandal comes one week after he was voted Mayor, replacing Josh Gilligan.
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