Two Punjab youths convicted in rape case in New Zealand
HAMILTON: Two Punjab-based youth, Par amp re et Singh ,27, and Amritpal Singh, 25, who came to New Zealand in 2010, have been found guilty of raping a 17-yearold girl, whom they first met on a dating site, Tagged.
Christchurch district court judge David Saunders jailed Parampreet Sing hf or seven years and nine months, and Amritpal Singh for seven years and six months on Thursday last week. Both convicts have decided that they will serve their jail term and won’t lodge appeals.
Last month, the jury had found Par amp re et guilty of two charges of raping the teenage girl ina latenight incident that took place in a car, and on the roof of the New Brighton Surf Club, Christchurch, on December 23, 2013. Par amp re et was found not guilty of a sexual violation charge.
Amritpal was found guilty of sexual violation and rape. Both will be deported from New Zea- land as soon as they are released from prison, and the judge said their deportation is “inevitable”. The victim was 17 at the time of her double rape in 2013.
Three trials were held in this case. One was declared a mistrial, while in the second trial, both were found guilty, but the verdicts were quashed by the court of appeal and a new trial was ordered. Both denied the charges claiming the girl had consented. Two juries, however, rejected their claim. Exact immigration status of Par amp re etan dA mr itpal in New Zealand is not known. This is not the first case of rape involving Indian sin this country. Gurpinder Singh Brar, 25, and Amritpal Singh Sidhu, 21, are already serving seven years and eight years in jail for kidnapping and raping a 38-year-old woman in Rotorua in September 2013. Their first trial ended with a hung jury.