A London court has rejected the bail application of Manpreet Kaur, an aide to Delhi-based criminal lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, who has been charged in connection with alleged sexual assaults involving two women.
Kaur’s bail plea was heard by Judge M Weekes at the Southwark Crown Court on September 4. She will remain in custody. The court has imposed reporting restrictions on the proceedings. As a result, the reasons for rejecting Kaur’s bail application cannot presently be reported.
Kaur, 41, has been charged with two counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of sexual assault offences allegedly involving Aggarwal.
Aggarwal, 57, faces four counts of sexual assault involving two women. Three charges relate to an alleged incident on August 9, while another concerns an alleged incident on May 26. One of the August 9 allegations relates to intentionally touching a woman in a sexual manner without her consent, an offence under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The Metropolitan Police arrested Aggarwal and Kaur on August 11 at a property on Brick Street in Mayfair, London, following reports of alleged sexual assaults at the address. They appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 13 and were remanded in custody before the case was transferred to Southwark Crown Court.
The prosecution case against Kaur reportedly alleges that she introduced two women to Aggarwal and invited them to the property after a purported false job advertisement had been posted.
The matter is next listed before Southwark Crown Court on September 10 for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Both accused remain in custody.
Aggarwal is a Delhi-based criminal lawyer who has represented several high-profile accused, including fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in extradition proceedings. The allegations against Aggarwal and Kaur have not been adjudicated and remain subject to the ongoing criminal proceedings.
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