Australian Judge Condemns Indian-Origin Man to 40 Years for ‘Elaborate’ Rape Plot1
Sydney – Balesh Dhankhar, a prominent figure within the Indian community in Australia, received a 40-year prison sentence on Friday for the rape of five Korean women. Judge Michael King of the district court characterized Dhankhar’s crimes as “premeditated and elaborately executed,” highlighting the calculated and predatory nature of his actions.
The victims, young women aged 21 to 27, were incapacitated or unconscious during the assaults. According to the Australian Associated Press, Dhankhar used deceptive job advertisements to lure the women to his Sydney residence or nearby locations. The former IT consultant then proceeded to drug and sexually assault them.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Dhankhar meticulously maintained an Excel spreadsheet to categorize applicants to his fabricated job postings. This disturbing document included ratings of women based on their physical appearance and perceived intelligence. The spreadsheet also contained records of his interactions with each victim, personal details, and his assessment of their vulnerability and suitability for his predatory plans. Furthermore, Dhankhar recorded his criminal acts, seemingly for his own future sexual gratification.
In 2023, a jury found Dhankhar guilty on 39 counts, including 13 charges of sexual assault, following his arrest in 2018. In addition to the 40-year sentence, the 43-year-old Dhankhar was given a non-parole period of 30 years.11 He remained emotionless in the courtroom dock as the sentence was delivered.
Dhankhar has consistently denied drugging the women and maintains that any sexual activity was consensual. He reportedly told a report writer that his “interpretation of consent” differed from the legal definition.
Dhankhar’s non-parole period is set to conclude in April 2053, retroactive to the end of his trial. He will be 83 years old when his full sentence concludes.
Judge’s Scathing Remarks:
In delivering the sentence, Judge Michael King stated that Dhankhar’s behavior was “premeditated, elaborately executed, manipulative and highly predatory.” The judge emphasized that Dhankhar’s “desire for sexual gratification came in complete and callous disregard for each victim.”
“This was an egregious sequence of planned predatory conduct against five unrelated young and vulnerable women over a significant period,” Judge King added, as quoted by the Australian AP.
The judge further noted the stark contrast between Dhankhar’s public image as a community-focused individual and the “seriously flawed and predatory character” exposed during the trial. Prior to his arrest in 2018, Dhankhar was a respected figure within the Indian-Australian community, having founded a satellite group of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as a spokesperson for the Hindu Council of Australia. His professional background included work as a data visualization consultant for reputable organizations such as ABC, British American Tobacco, Toyota, and Sydney Trains, after he initially arrived in Australia as a student in 2006.
Police investigations in 2018 led to a raid on Dhankhar’s Sydney central business district apartment, where they discovered date-rape drugs and a video recording device disguised as a clock radio, further solidifying the evidence against him.