An Indian origin man who fled to India after raping a woman in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a UK court.
The 35-year-old Ajay Rana was found guilty of raping a woman in her 30s on December 9, 2017, reportedly by offering a lift. On December 13, he fled to India saying he had to visit ailing mother. By the time police traced the vehicle which he was driving at the time of committing the crime, Rana reached India.
According to a PTI report, a European Arrest Warrant was issued after his identity was established and Rana was arrested in Spain when he was on a visit to that country. He was extradited to the UK in November last
“This was a complicated investigation that was progressed with great haste despite the challenges presented by an offender who fled the country after the attack. The investigation team worked tirelessly over many months to ensure the individual did not escape justice and I am proud of the work they produced to reach the right outcome for the victim,” Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger, the Senior Investigating Officer for Suffolk Police was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
According to the details of the report, Rana offered a lift to the woman saying that it was cold outside and that he had already given a lift to two other individuals. According to the victim’s statement, Rana reportedly raped her after taking the car further down.
While his car was traced on CCTV, the earphones he left behind in the vehicle helped establish his identity as the police matched swabs taken from the victim with DNA from the earphones. The car was registered in the name of Rana’s housemate and when the police reached his residence in London, they were informed that he had left for India.
“I am so angry that he has done this to me, and [the case] brings it all flooding back and the emotions hit me like a roller coaster… (this) will haunt me for the rest of my life,” the victim said in a statement.
