Indian-origin man linked to BJP sentenced 40-year jail for raping 5 South Korean women in Australia
Sydney: An Australian court has sentenced an Indian community leader to forty years in prison after being found guilty of “elaborately executed, manipulative and highly predatory” rapes of five Korean women.
According to media reports, Balesh Dhankhar posted fake job advertisements to lure women in their 20s before drugging them in or near his home in Sydney. The former IT consultant then groped and raped the women. He further filmed his crimes for his future sexual gratification.
He also maintained a spreadsheet ranking applicants of his fake job postings based on appearance, intelligence, and perceived vulnerability.
Dhankhar is the founder of the Australian wing of the Overseas Friends of BJP, an official support group of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the country. He was convicted of 39 offences, including 13 counts of rape, six of administering an intoxicating substance, 17 of recording intimate videos without consent and three of indecent assault.
District Court Judge Michael King sharply condemned Dhankhar's actions, describing them as "premeditated, elaborately executed, manipulative, and highly predatory."
Meanwhile, Dhankhar has denied drugging the women or that the encounters were non-consensual. He told a report writer that there was a "difference in how I interpret consent, to how the law sees consent".
Dhankhar, who arrived in Australia as a student in 2006, was a popular figure in the Indian-Australian community and served as a spokesperson for the Hindu Council of Australia.
Dhankar’s non-parole period expires in April 2053. He will be 83 years old when his full sentence ends.
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KSRTC to run 1000 special services to clear Christmas rush
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1000 additional special services in view of the Christmas festival.
In addition to the existing schedule, the special services will run on 19.12.2025, 20.12.2025 and 24.12.2025. Further, special buses will be operated from various places of intra & Interstate places to Bengaluru on 26.12.2025 & 28.12.2025.
Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
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Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
The corporation has also announced a discount of 5 per cent on the fare if four or more passengers book tickets under a single reservation. A discount of 10 per cent will be extended on return journey tickets if onward and return tickets are booked simultaneously.
In addition to the above, special buses will be operated from all Taluk/District Bus Stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs.
