CANBERRA, Australia: An Indian taxi driver, convicted of raping an unconscious woman in his car and home, lost a racial discrimination case upon expulsion from a sex offender’s course.
The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal dismissed his case on Thursday.
Neelander Neel Sirohi, 35, was deported to India earlier this year after serving four years in prison for raping a vulnerable woman in 2013.
Sirohi had picked up the intoxicated passenger early morning and assaulted her while she was in the front seat. He then took her to his home and molested her before dropping her to her destination.
The woman, who had consumed alcohol and prescription drugs, told police she had little memory of the attacks.
The sex offender had pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. He was soon arrested while trying to get travel documents at the Indian High Commission to escape the country.
Last year, the ACT’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, kicked Sirohi out of its adult sex-offender program due to his behaviour and an “incident” with another inmate.
His security status was also upgraded that disabled him from readmission in the course, which could have later helped him in applying for parole.
This led him to complain to the ACT’s human rights commissioner, saying his exclusion was based on racial bias.
He asked the tribunal to order the prison to grant him a completion certificate of the sex-offender’s course to verify he was rehabilitated.
The ACT’s Justice and Community Safety Directorate argued the complaint was “frivolous or vexatious” and should be dismissed.
Tribunal presidential member Elizabeth Symons said Sirohi failed to tender any evidence, other than his personal beliefs, to prove that his race was the reason he was expelled.
“The tribunal is comfortably satisfied that the applicant’s expulsion and subsequent exclusion from [the sex offender’s program] was based on his security classification and his behaviour,” she wrote in her decision.
“The tribunal will order that the application be dismissed as it is lacking in substance and has no reasonable prospects of success.”
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription
