Sydney, Oct 2 (IANS) An Indian taxi driver in Australia has been found guilty of raping a woman student who was in an inebriated state.
The court found Sunveer Jassar, 28, guilty of raping an intoxicated female student in the back of his cab after driving her to an isolated area in Brisbane’s city centre early last year, the couriermail.com.au reported.
The incident occurred last April, when Jassar raped the then 27-year-old Thai national under the Story Bridge at Kangaroo Park.
The jury heard that the victim student and her two friends had been drinking at several venues in Brisbane before deciding to catch a taxi home.
After two of the girls were dropped off, prosecutors said, the heavily intoxicated woman became alarmed when Jassar drove his taxi onto the Story Bridge, opposite to the direction that she wanted to travel.
She telephoned one of her two friends and requested to give Jassar instructions on what address to drop the woman at.
Jassar, who pretended he was unable to understand the friend, drove off the taxi at the first available Story Bridge exit, stopped near an isolated park, raped the inebriated student and then left her stranded under the bridge, the court heard.
Prosecutor Ron Swanwick has submitted that Jassar, who came to Australia from Punjab on a student visa in 2008, be jailed for in excess of six years.
Jassar’s sentencing was yet to be announced.
