Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

20 members of grooming gang convicted

TWENTY members of a grooming gang have been found guilty of raping and abusing girls as young as 11 in Huddersfield.

Between 2004 and 2011, the men plied the victims with drugs and drinks and then "used and abused at will" .


The men have been convicted of more than 120 offences against 15 girls, reported BBC. Their ringleader, 35-year-old Amere Singh Dhaliwal, was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years.

At Leeds Crown Court, the other members of the gang were jailed for between five and 18 years.

The gang members are all British Asians and they preyed on vulnerable girls. One of the girls was described as having the mental capacity of a seven-year-old.

Jailing 16 of the men earlier this year, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "The way you treated these girls defies understanding; this abuse was vile and wicked. As cases of sexual abuse with which the courts have to deal, this case comes top of the scale."

Sentencing married father-of-two Dhaliwal, the judge told him: "The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered.

"Children's lives have been ruined and families profoundly affected by seeing their children, over months and years, out of control, having been groomed by you and other members of your gang."

One victim said she escaped from the men's clutches only after her family moved following a house fire. "It was the best thing I ever did, and that's bad saying that burning your house down is the best thing you ever did."

Speaking outside court, Det Ch Insp Ian Mottershaw, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "The investigation into this case has been extremely complex and the investigative team have worked tirelessly for the past five years to ensure that no stone has been left unturned.

"We welcome the convictions and sentences which have been passed down throughout the year to these depraved individuals, who subjected vulnerable young children to unthinkable sexual and physical abuse."

More For You

Ambanis-Getty

Billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani with his wife and founder chairperson of the Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani during the wedding reception ceremony of actor Amir Khan's daughter, Ira Khan on January 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ambanis set to acquire minority stake in Hundred’s Oval Invincibles

THE OWNERS of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians have reportedly secured a deal to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles, a franchise in England’s Hundred competition.

Reports on Thursday stated that Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which owns Mumbai Indians, emerged as the successful bidder.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi Trump GettyImages 1170213584 scaled

FILE PHOTO: Donald Trump and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi attend "Howdy, Modi!" at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on September 22, 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive: How will UK and India woo Trump?

DONALD TRUMP’S second term as US president will call for a pragmatic approach by the UK, experts have said, adding that India may yet benefit from the America-China “power struggle”.

V Muraleedharan served as former junior foreign minister in India from 2019 to 2024. He told Eastern Eye India wants to sustain a “strong and healthy” relationship with the US under Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-white-house-getty

peaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump blames diversity policies for Washington air collision

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday blamed diversity hiring policies for a mid-air collision between an airliner and a military helicopter over Washington’s Potomac River, which left 67 people dead.

Speaking at a press conference, Trump confirmed that all those aboard both aircraft had died and cited pilot error on the military helicopter as a factor in the crash. However, he focused on diversity policies under former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, claiming they prevented qualified employees from being hired at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Keep ReadingShow less
Crackdown on ‘fake news’ sparks dissent in Pakistan

A journalist holds a banner during a protest in Islamabad on Tuesday (28)

Crackdown on ‘fake news’ sparks dissent in Pakistan

PAKISTAN criminalised online disinformation on Tuesday (28), passing legislation dictating punishments of up to three years in jail and prompting journalist protests accusing the government of quashing dissent.

The law targets anyone who “intentionally disseminates” information online that they have “reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest”.

Keep ReadingShow less
India shifts defence strategy while balancing western ties and Russian legacy

India produces some military hardware but still relies heavily on imports. The BrahMos missile system featured in India’s 76th Republic Day parade in New Delhi last Sunday (26)

India shifts defence strategy while balancing western ties and Russian legacy

INDIA’S efforts to pare back its reliance on Russian military hardware are bearing fruit after the courting of new Western allies and a rapidly growing domestic arms industry, analysts said.

At a time when Moscow’s military-industrial complex is occupied with the ongoing war in Ukraine, India has made the modernisation of its armed forces a top priority.

Keep ReadingShow less