Sydney: Balesh Dhankhar, a prominent figure in the Indo-Australian community and a founder of the Australia wing of the Overseas Friends of BJP, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for multiple sexual assaults. The verdict was delivered after he was found guilty of raping five Korean women, among other serious charges, reported the Deccan Herald.
Dhankhar faced a total of 39 charges, including 13 counts of rape, six charges of administering an intoxicant with intent to commit rape, 17 counts of recording obscene videos without consent, and three charges of molestation. The crimes took place between January and October 2018.
Delivering the sentence, Judge Michael King described Dhankhar’s actions as a “planned and predatory series of crimes against young and vulnerable women.” The court noted that during a police raid on his residence, drugs and intoxicants were discovered, further substantiating the charges against him.
Dhankhar, who was widely regarded within the Indo-Australian community before his arrest in 2018, was also linked to the Hindu Council of Australia, where he acted as a spokesperson. However, after reports of his crimes surfaced, Overseas Friends of BJP distanced itself from him, claiming that he had resigned from the organization in 2018.
Australian media outlets, including 9News, have highlighted Dhankhar’s association with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their coverage of the case.
This high-profile conviction has raised concerns over the influence and operations of certain political figures within diaspora organizations.
