Indian-origin man jailed for sexually assaulting woman on UK train
London (PTI): A 39-year-old Indian-origin man has been jailed for 16 weeks and placed on the sexual offenders register for seven years after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman while travelling on a train from Birmingham to London.
Mukhan Singh, from the Sandwell area of the West Midlands region of England, was arrested for the crime en route at Leamington station back in 2021. He entered his guilty plea at Warwick Crown Court last month and was sentenced recently.
"This was a brazen and targeted attack on a young woman who was travelling on her own and had every right to a safe journey," said Detective Constable (DC) Harris, the Investigating Officer in the case.
"Instead, she was violated by Singh, who then had the audacity to claim she had 'wanted' it in his police interview. I am pleased to see the court hand down a custodial sentence, which will allow Singh plenty of time to reflect on his unacceptable actions," he said.
According to a local media report in 'Warwickshire World', the court heard how, in September 2021, the victim, a woman in her twenties, was on a train travelling from Birmingham Moor Street station to London Marylebone when Singh began to stare at her from a nearby table seat. Singh later sat next to the victim in the aisle seat, blocking her in, before sexually assaulting her.
The victim recorded footage of Singh as he prepared to leave the train at Leamington Spa before reporting what happened to a member of staff. Singh was stopped at the station, and police were called. He was arrested by officers at the station and taken to police custody.
After his arrest and during his police interview, the accused claimed that the victim "wanted something done to her".
"We take all reports of sexual offences seriously and will support victims throughout our investigations as we work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice," added DC Harris.
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Tribals, Scheduled Castes preserved India's identity and soul despite foreign invasions: Bhagwat
Mumbai (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that despite foreign invasions and hardships, tribal communities and Scheduled Castes preserved the country's identity and soul, stressing the need to integrate them into the mainstream development process.
He was speaking on Saturday at the Karmayogi awards ceremony in Mumbai, where Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was also present.
"Human life is defined by giving back to the world, as we are all part of one great family. A person works and spends for the betterment of society, not as a favour, but out of duty. In serving others, we foster our own development. By helping others to thrive, we elevate ourselves and grow as human beings. This principle is the core value of this Indian land, commonly known as a Hindu society," Bhagwat said.
"This is the society's enduring ethos, which has survived for thousands of years. For various reasons, partly because of our indifference and partly because of foreign invasion, those who preserved this ethos paid a heavy price," he said.
The foreign invaders found that this ethos, this value system of the society is its soul and the key to keeping it alive. So they ensured that those who tried to preserve this soul would be uprooted and face extreme hardships, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief noted.
But despite foreign invasions and hardships, tribal communities and Scheduled Castes preserved the country's identity and its soul, he said.
"Despite such adversities, the country's core identity remained intact among tribal communities and those belonging to SC and ST groups," he said, emphasising the need to integrate them into the mainstream development process while ensuring they receive equal access to services and facilities.
Referring to global developments, Bhagwat said the present world is "stumbling forward" and struggling to maintain balance, and asserted that India could emerge as a stabilising force.
The country must not only safeguard its own interests but also extend support to the world, he said.
"The world should get to see that the country is not only solving its own misery and sorrow but also helping the world to address similar issues," he said.
The RSS chief stressed that service to society is not a favour but a duty that contributes to one's own development.
Helping others grow also elevates individuals and strengthens the collective fabric of society, he said.
The so-called educated and developed sections have, over time, distanced themselves from these communities, Bhagwat pointed out, and called for the need to bridge this gap.
The identities preserved by these communities represent the true identity of Indian society, he said and underlined that without identity, existence itself is at risk.
