Vijay Aggarwal, Lawyer For Mehul Choksi, Charged With Four Sexual Assault Offences In London

Criminal lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, who has represented fugitive diamond businessman Mehul Choksi, has been arrested in London and charged with four counts of sexual assault involving two women, according to reports. The 57-year-old Delhi-born lawyer has been remanded in custody following his appearance before Westminster Magistrates' Court. The allegations are now before the UK courts, and Aggarwal has not been convicted of the offences. Aggarwal and his personal assistant, 41-year-old Manpreet Kaur, were arrested by the Metropolitan Police on August 11 at a serviced townhouse on Brick Street in Mayfair, according to court-reporting sources.

Both were subsequently charged and appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 13, after which they were remanded in custody. Their case has been transferred to Southwark Crown Court for further proceedings. Aggarwal faces three charges relating to an alleged incident involving one woman on August 9, along with another charge concerning an alleged incident on May 26. The charges allege that he intentionally touched a woman in a sexual manner without her consent, offences brought under Section 3 of the UK's Sexual Offences Act 2003. The allegations remain subject to the criminal justice process and have not been established at trial.

Kaur faces two separate charges of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of sexual assault offences, relating to alleged incidents on May 26 and August 9. Prosecutors reportedly allege that she introduced two women to Aggarwal and invited them to the Mayfair property after a false job advertisement had been posted. The precise allegations will be tested through the court proceedings. Two other people, a 23-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman, were also arrested on August 11 as part of the investigation, according to court reports. They have reportedly been released on bail while police inquiries continue.

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The Metropolitan Police investigation follows reports of alleged sexual assaults at the Mayfair property where Aggarwal and Kaur were staying. Aggarwal is known in India for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and has represented Choksi in legal proceedings. Choksi, a fugitive businessman wanted in India in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud case, has been involved in lengthy extradition proceedings. Aggarwal had represented him in legal matters concerning his extradition, making the London case involving the lawyer particularly notable in India.

The latest proceedings are separate from the allegations and legal cases involving Choksi. Aggarwal's professional association with the businessman does not form part of the reported sexual assault charges. The current case concerns allegations arising from incidents allegedly involving two women in London. The case is scheduled to return to Southwark Crown Court on September 10 for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Until the court proceedings establish the facts, the allegations against Aggarwal and Kaur remain allegations, and both defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence under the criminal justice process.

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