Community Leader Sentenced for Horrific Assaults on Women
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A respected leader in the Indian community has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the manipulative and predatory rapes of five Korean women.
Balesh Dhankhar lured his victims using fake job postings, drugging them in or around his residence. The married IT consultant then assaulted the women, recording his crimes for future sexual exploitation. All victims were either unconscious or severely impaired at the time of the attacks.
Authorities discovered an Excel spreadsheet detailing his interactions with each victim, including personal information and assessments of their vulnerability.
During the sentencing, District Court Judge Michael King noted the unprecedented nature of Dhankhar’s offenses, stating, “This was a premeditated, manipulative, and predatory series of actions against five unrelated young and vulnerable women over an extended period.”
Victim-survivor advocate Karen Iles commended the judge for acknowledging the significant impact on the victims. One survivor expressed that Dhankhar “has inflicted wounds on my soul,” underscoring the seriousness of sexual violence as a crime.
Iles emphasized that the sentence serves as a deterrent, highlighting the alarming statistic that one in five Australian women has experienced sexual assault. She pointed out that, according to the Law Reform Commission, less than one percent of perpetrators face legal consequences, and many sentences do not lead to incarceration.
Before his arrest in 2018, Dhankhar was held in high regard within the Indian-Australian community, founding a faction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and serving as a spokesperson for the Hindu Council of Australia. He also worked as a data visualization consultant for several notable organizations after arriving in Australia as a student in 2006.
The judge remarked that Dhankhar’s community-oriented persona was starkly at odds with the predatory behavior unveiled in court.
Following his fifth assault in October 2018, police raided his unit in Sydney’s CBD and discovered date-rape drugs along with a video recording device disguised as a clock radio. In 2023, a jury convicted him on 39 counts, including 13 sexual assault charges.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Dhankhar continues to deny drugging the women or acting without consent, claiming a differing interpretation of consent compared to the law.
His non-parole period is set to expire in April 2053, and he will be 83 years old by the time his full 40-year sentence concludes.
This case is utterly disturbing and highlights the lengths to which some individuals will go to exploit and harm others. Balesh Dhankhar’s actions are not only predatory but also reveal a deeply concerning mindset that trivializes consent and the trauma inflicted upon victims.
It’s crucial that society continues to hold abusers accountable, and the lengthy sentence is a step in the right direction toward justice for the survivors. As Karen Iles pointed out, the impact of such crimes is profound, leaving lasting scars on the victims. The recognition by the judge of the severity and premeditated nature of Dhankhar’s actions is important in sending a message that sexual violence will not be tolerated.
The statistics surrounding sexual assault and the low rates of accountability for perpetrators are alarming. It’s a reminder that we must continue to advocate for stronger protections for victims, better education around consent, and more comprehensive reforms in how sexual violence cases are handled in the legal system. This case serves as a call to action for communities to support survivors and work towards a future where such crimes are met with appropriate consequences and fewer individuals experience this kind of trauma.