Indian-Origin London Detective Charged With Five Counts of Sexual Assault

Detective Sergeant Prakash Patel, an Indian-origin officer with London’s Metropolitan Police, has been charged with five counts of sexual assault. The allegations concern four women who were known to Patel, according to the Metropolitan Police. One alleged incident took place during the summer of 2024, while four other incidents are alleged to have occurred in December 2024. The women involved continue to receive support from investigating officers.

Patel is attached to the North West Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police. He was arrested in April 2025 after an investigation was launched by the Central South Command Unit in cooperation with the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards. Following his arrest, he was suspended from duty. The case was subsequently referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which later authorised the charges.

The allegations relate to incidents that police say occurred in 2024. Authorities have not publicly provided further details about the circumstances of the alleged assaults. The Met said the charges concern four women known to Patel and confirmed that officers continue to support them as the legal process moves forward. As the allegations are before the courts, Patel remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty.

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Patel is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The court proceedings will determine the next stage of the case and whether it is sent to a higher court for further hearings. The Metropolitan Police has continued to investigate the allegations through its professional standards and specialist investigative structures before the case was passed to prosecutors.

The case comes amid wider scrutiny of misconduct allegations involving serving police officers in the United Kingdom. Police forces have professional standards departments responsible for investigating allegations involving officers, particularly where accusations concern serious criminal conduct. Suspension from duty is an administrative measure and does not itself establish guilt or wrongdoing.

In a separate case involving another Indian-origin British Airways employee, 55-year-old Amardip “Amo” Dhariwal was convicted of sexually assaulting a female colleague at his home in Bracknell. A jury at Reading Crown Court found him guilty after a nine-day trial. Dhariwal was released on strict conditional bail and is due to be sentenced later, while he had also faced additional allegations concerning other women.

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