Thaindian News

Melbourne, Mar 8 (ANI): An Indian man in Australia has been sentenced to at least five-years jail for tying up and raping a young woman so that her life would be ruined and no other man would want her.

Ajay Pal Singh Thiara, 26, was jailed for six years and eight months in the District Court of South Australia, and will be deported when he finishes his sentence.

Judge David Smith gave him a five-year non-parole period because Thiara would face retribution in India.

“I take into account that there may be more shame and retribution in store for you on your return home to India at the end of your sentence but that is of small solace in comparison to what you have done,” News.com.au quoted Judge Smith as saying.

Judge Smith said Thiara raped the woman in December 2009 because he was angry and jealous when she went off to meet a suitor her family had arranged for her to marry.

He got drunk then proclaimed his love for her, abused her, tied her up, indecently assaulted and raped her.She was a virgin and she did not immediately report him to police because she felt ashamed and defiled.

But that changed after he assaulted her again in February 2010, stripping her naked and filming it on his mobile phone.

The judge said Thiara’s excuse was that he was in love and did not want to lose the woman, a Sikh who would now find it very difficult to find a husband.

“Your intention, you said, was to ruin her so that no other man would want her,” the judge said, adding that the rape was violent and protracted, shameful and degrading.

“You deliberately defiled this young woman out of abject selfishness and jealousy. You have shamed her, her family, yourself and your family.

“There is apparently a risk of some kind of form of retribution in India and in particular an honour killing,” he added.

Thiara came to Australia with his wife and worked as a taxi driver while studying. (ANI)