Indian-origin man in UK gets 34-year jail term for kidnap, torture and rape

The court heard that masked men forced her into a car and drove her to a house in Hanwell, west London, where Singh raped her on two occasions and subjected her to more than a day of torture.

The victim was “punched in the face, beaten, stripped, whipped, burnt and raped” before eventually being released. Her captors threatened her and warned her not to tell anyone about the ordeal.

Police account

“The brutality of what the victim in this case faced is unimaginable,” said Detective Constable Seetara Abdul of the Metropolitan Police’s North West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, who led the investigation.

Police said the victim was deeply traumatised and initially reluctant to disclose the full extent of the abuse.

“Threats were made to try and silence her, but the support of her mum and the diligent care shown by the officers investigating her case meant we were able to apprehend and charge an extremely dangerous individual,” Abdul said.

Victim speaks

In a statement released through the Metropolitan Police, the victim said she had initially been afraid to contact authorities.

“I never wanted to contact the police. It felt daunting. I was left thinking that if I did, I could be putting myself and the people around me in danger,” she said.

She credited her mother for encouraging her to come forward.

“It was my mum who never gave up. She believed going to the police was the right thing to do. She kept my clothes as evidence and saved all of my doctor’s notes. She said she couldn’t rest knowing they could be doing this to other people,” the victim said.

Police said that shortly after her release from the abductors, the woman confided in her mother, who filed an initial third-party report. The clothing the victim had been wearing at the time of the kidnapping was submitted for forensic examination, helping investigators identify and arrest Singh.