Isleworth Crown Court on Friday sentenced a 34-year-old Indian-origin man, Gagandeep Singh, to 34 years of imprisonment after finding him guilty in February of kidnap, torture and rape offences in London. Singh’s charges include two counts of rape, false imprisonment, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and kidnapping.
The convict will serve a 34-year sentence, which involves 28 years in custody followed by a six-year extended licence period under strict restrictions. He can only be considered for parole after serving at least 18 years, or two-thirds of the custodial term.
Singh allegedly took the victim, a 24-year-old woman, to a house in Hanwell, west London, where she was subjected to prolonged torture.
Detective Constable Seetara Abdul from the Metropolitan Police’s North West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, who led the investigation, said “The brutality of what the victim in this case faced is unimaginable.”
“She has shown immense bravery in coming forward and helping us ensure her attacker faces justice. The cruel level of control left her fearing for her life,” she said.
Singh reportedly asked the victim to deliver a suitcase containing unknown items from Thailand back to the United Kingdom in June 2024, which she refused. When she arrived at Birmingham Airport, masked men allegedly put her into a car and took her to London where she was subjected to rape by Singh on two occasions.
The Met Police said she was traumatised by the experience and was initially hesitant to the tell the police the complete truth of what had happened.
“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,” said Abdul.
She further added, “We thank her for that trust and for the patience, bravery and determination she has shown throughout this investigation and the trial that followed. Her courage in the face of such awful crimes is a testament to her hugely impressive strength and resilience.”
The Met police also released a statement on behalf of the victim, who said, “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.”
“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,” said the statement.
The statement ended with a message to all victims of abuse, “To anyone who has experienced abuse, sexual or otherwise, please remember this: we are not the ones who should carry shame. We survive, and we go on to live again.”
The Met Police said it has strengthened training and response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), accompanied by strengthened specialist victim support services.
