A 35-year-old Indian man was sentenced to seven years in jail on Tuesday for raping a woman in the United Kingdom in December 2017, the Suffolk Police said.
The Ipswich Crown Court sentenced Ajay Rana after a jury found him guilty of rape by a majority verdict following a two-week trial.
The police said Rana offered the woman a lift on December 9, 2017, around 5 am in the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk, eastern England. He told her he had already driven two other people because of the cold and the woman accepted the offer as he appeared to be genuine. According to police, Rana stopped the car by a road shortly after picking the woman and then raped her. The woman, who was in her 30s, managed to get out of the car and ran to a friend’s house nearby, from where police were informed.
During the investigation, police found that the car Rana used was registered under the name of one of his housemates and Rana was named a driver on the insurance policy. Rana’s friends told the police that he had left for India on December 12 saying his mother was unwell.
Police analysed CCTV footage and located the car passing on the route as described by the complainant. Investigators also found Rana’s earphones and matched DNA from them with swabs taken from the woman and identified him as a suspect on December 13.
The Suffolk Police then began proceedings to extradite Rana from India and issued a European Arrest Warrant, which would allow for him to be detained if he attempted to enter a European Union member state. Rana was detained by Spanish police in Bilbao on October 22 last year and extradited to the United Kingdom on November 12 after getting approval from the Spanish courts.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!