Indian-Australian Community Leader Sentenced to 40 Years for Raping Five Women

Balesh Dhankhar used fake job ads to lure victims, drugging and assaulting them in a premeditated and predatory scheme.

Balesh Dhankhar, a 43-year-old Indian community leader in Australia, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for raping five Korean women, with a non-parole period of 30 years.
Dhankhar used fake job advertisements to target women aged 21 to 27, drugging them and assaulting them while they were unconscious or impaired.
He meticulously documented his crimes in an Excel spreadsheet, rating victims on appearance and vulnerability, and filmed the assaults for his own gratification.
The judge described Dhankhar’s actions as premeditated, manipulative, and highly predatory, noting a stark contrast between his public image and his criminal behavior.
Dhankhar, a former IT consultant and community figure, maintains his innocence, claiming a misunderstanding of consent, despite being convicted of 39 offenses including 13 counts of sexual assault.