New Zealand Court Defers Bail Pleas Of Two Punjabis Accused Of Rape

MELBOURNE – The bailpleas of two Indian-origin menfrom Punjab charged ofabducting, raping and blackmailinga Canberra woman wastoday deferred by an Australiancourt.Ajitpal Singh (31) and RandhirSingh (20) appeared in theAustralian Capital Territory(ACT) magistrate’s court oncharges of rape, abduction,unlawful confinement, andcommitting acts of indecencyand pleaded not guilty.The duo applied for bail, but Magistrate Peter Dingwalldeferred the request until themen’s immigration status couldbe confirmed. The court hearda third man had fled the countryback to India earlier thismonth.The two allegedly used a datingapp to lure the woman intomeeting them at the Kippaxshopping centre in Holt suburb,according to an ABC report.It was said that the victim whowas from Canberra was alsoonce threatened by the accusedwho told her that they wereaware of her son’s schoolbefore driving her to an apartmentwhere they repeatedlyassaulted and raped her.The woman told police she hadno idea how the men found outher private details, but that shethought she recognised one ofthe men after they followed heronto a bus at an earlier date.ACT police said the case was anexample of the perils of socialmedia applications.Both men are being held inCanberra’s jail while concernsover their immigration statusare resolved. The next hearingof the case will be next week.