Indian-origin doctor in Scotland jailed for sexual assault
London(PTI): An Indian-origin doctor was on Wednesday sentenced to four years of imprisonment by a Scottish court after being found guilty by jurors of serious sexual assault against a woman over three years ago.
Manesh Gill, 39, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh last month and sentenced at the same court for what Scottish police described as horrific behaviour this week. The court heard how the married general practitioner (GP) posed as "Mike" on the online dating app Tinder and arranged to meet the victim at a hotel in Stirling, where the assault took place in December 2018.
The conviction and sentencing of Gill sends a clear message to anyone found guilty of sexual offences, you will be brought to justice, said Detective Inspector Forbes Wilson of the Public Protection Unit of Police Scotland.
Gill must now face the consequences for his horrific behaviour. The victim has shown tremendous bravery in coming forward and telling her story and I would like to thank her for her assistance during our investigation. I hope today's outcome will give her some form of closure, Wilson said.
"We remain committed to tackling sexual abuse, we have specially trained officers and work with partners to provide support to victims. I would encourage anyone to report sexual abuse in any form, as all reports will be thoroughly investigated, he added.
During evidence at the trial earlier this year, the woman said to be a student nurse described how her body "shut down" as she was sexually assaulted.
Gill, a father of three based in Edinburgh, had claimed the sex was consensual. The jury convicted him for committing a sex crime when the victim was incapable of giving or withholding consent. He has also been added to the Sex Offenders' Register for monitoring his conduct.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
