Indian jailed for raping UK teenager

The Isleworth Crown Court, which found Jagdeep Chahal guilty on September 25, 2009 following a two-week trial, delivered its judgment on Friday. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

The court heard how Chahal had followed his 18-year-old victim from a bus stop on the Uxbridge Road at 0200 hrs on April 8, 2009.

The victim, suspicious of Chahal, slowed down, to force him to pass her. However, he continued to follow her on the other side of the road until he pounced, forcing his hand into her mouth as she screamed out, and dragging her into an alleyway. Chahal threatened the victim and raped her. A passerby heard the victim’s screams and rang police who reached the scene within minutes. Chahal tried to flee, but the officers spotted him climbing a wall and was immediately detained.
Leanne Cranford from the Met Police’s Sapphire Unit based at Hounslow, dealing with victims of rapes, said: “Chahal has demonstrated that he is a predatory offender. He followed his 18-year-old victim and attacked her.

“I think special mention should be made of the woman who, rather than ignoring the victim’s calls for help, picked up the phone and rang 999. Without that phone call Chahal may not have been apprehended and the victim may not have received the immediate support and care that she needed,” Cranford said.
“We encourage victims of sexual assault to have the confidence to come forward to police as soon as possible.”