Mehul Choksi's Lawyer Charged With Rape, Sexual Assault In London

Indian lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, behind bars in London on charges of sexual assault, has also been accused of rape, it emerged after a court hearing in the UK on Friday.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) referenced the new charges against the 57-year-old along with a charge of “arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation”.

While his assistant Manpreet Kaur, also in a London prison, faces a similar charge, a third accused in the case appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court here on Friday charged with a similar offence, which he denies.

Hara Tibrewala spoke to confirm his name and plead "not guilty" as a three-judge bench granted him bail under strict conditions.

Aggarwal, Kaur and Tibrewala are now due to appear before Southwark Crown Court on November 6 for a pre-trial hearing.

At a bail hearing in Southwark last month, Aggarwal – who has represented fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in fraud and money laundering proceedings – was denied bail by Justice John Milne.

In details that emerged in court, the Delhi advocate is accused of non-consensual “sexual touching” of a female and facilitating the travel of women with a “view to exploitation” – allegations the judge described as “deeply disturbing”.

The judge said he “cannot accede to the request for bail” as there is a risk that he would “leave the country to avoid trial” – which has been set for March 15, 2027.

Justice Milne pointed to a “planned and sinister recruiting campaign" by Aggarwal to draw young women to apply for the “sham” post of personal assistant (PA) in search of "sexually pliant” candidates. He said it was indicative of the fact that the accused was “prepared to abuse his senior position” for his own ends.

As a native and citizen of India, the judge noted that his family, business and life were based there with no “community ties" in the UK – a country he extensively travelled to recruit despite having no “legitimate basis” for him requiring a PA in London.

Aggarwal's barrister, Sasha Wass, described her client as a man of “outstanding character and reputation” who has been forced to share a prison cell at Wandsworth in south-west London since his arrest in August.

All the women referenced in court as the key witnesses in the sexual assault case have anonymity under UK law.

Aggarwal and Kaur, 41, were arrested at a property on Brick Street in the posh Mayfair area of London on August 11 over alleged sexual offences on May 26 and August 9.

The 29 Brick Street property is listed online as a “Mayfair Residence Townhouse”, made up of multi-storey luxury apartments that are available for rent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)