A 50-year-old Indian-origin man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting four women after promising to get them jobs at his massage parlor in London. Raghu Singamaneni, of London Road, Luton, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Raghu was unanimously found guilty of rape and sexual assault after a trial on March 31. He sexually assaulted four girls aged between 17 and 23.
Detective Constable Hussain Saim, who led the investigation, said: “This man sexually assaulted women on the promise of employment.” The court said that Raghu, who ran two massage parlors on Holloway Road and High Road, used to advertise on a job app for women. After hiring them, he used to make them drink alcohol and sexually assault them. The perpetrator’s victim, a 17-year-old teenager, told police that she met Raghu in a parlor, he gave her a glass of prosecco, which got her intoxicated.
Raghu then took her to a hotel, where he tried to rape her and sexually assaulted her, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Shortly after the incident, the victim lodged a complaint at Tottenham police station and Raghu was arrested. The second crime took place at the High Road parlor when Raghu asked a 19-year-old girl for a massage and raped her after forcing her to drink vodka. Inquiries revealed that another crime took place when a 23-year-old girl met Raghu after seeing a job advertisement.
He arranged to meet her at a hotel in Golders Green. When he entered the hotel room, Raghu got him drunk and later raped him. The last incident was carried out with a 17-year-old girl. The girl talked to a lady about the job. The woman asked him to go to a hotel on Queens Avenue where she would meet someone for a trial massage. She met Raghu at that place.
Raghu offered her drinks, which she accepted, and Raghu later raped her. He then left the hotel and called a friend, who informed the police. After this, Raghu was arrested and prosecuted. After trial he was found guilty and sentenced. He was later convicted on three more counts of rape.
