An Indian-origin public servant in Australia has been accused of stalking a woman he met on a dating app and threatening to use government databases to obtain information about her and her family.
Suyash Sinha, 31, was arrested following a police raid on his property on Tuesday and appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court, where his bail application was rejected, according to a report by ABC News.
Prosecutors opposed his release, arguing that Sinha had developed a “fixation” on the woman and posed a risk to her safety. They also raised concerns that he could interfere with evidence or witnesses if released on bail.
“He’s fixated on this person, and he’s refused to accept ‘no’ as an answer to his advances,” the prosecutor told the court, as per the outlet.
The court also heard that the woman was terrified of Sinha and was experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Sinha allegedly met the woman on a dating app and began messaging her. She told him she was not interested in pursuing any kind of relationship, but he allegedly continued contacting her.
{{/usCountry}}Sinha allegedly met the woman on a dating app and began messaging her. She told him she was not interested in pursuing any kind of relationship, but he allegedly continued contacting her.
{{/usCountry}}In August, Sinha allegedly sent her a message describing what she was wearing, making her fear that she was being stalked. The woman subsequently agreed to meet him at a pub, where the 31-year-old allegedly told her that he worked in finance for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government and wanted to pursue a relationship with her. When she mentioned that she had brothers, Sinha allegedly named one of them and told her that “anyone can be looked up through government systems”.
Despite the woman reiterating that she was not interested in him, she allegedly continued to receive messages from Sinha over the following months. She also allegedly received multiple social media friend requests in a single day, including from accounts with “bizarre, intimidating and harassing” usernames. These included “will be seeing you soon…” and “I hate you so much, goodbye”.
The woman approached police in September and was advised to deactivate her social media accounts. The court heard that officers executed a search warrant at Sinha’s home on Tuesday and seized several electronic devices.
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Court rejects bail application
Sinha’s lawyer sought bail, telling the court that his client played a significant financial role in supporting family members overseas and in Canberra. The lawyer argued that these responsibilities would motivate him to comply with bail conditions and remain out of custody.
However, Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson refused the application, citing concerns about the alleged conduct and the potential risk to the woman’s safety and wellbeing. The magistrate said that the allegations of Sinha’s “intense” behaviour demonstrated a “complete disregard for the rights, safety and issues of the complainant”.
“I appreciate you have interests in the community but I consider your risk to the safety to the health and wellbeing of the complainant is too great,” Wilson said.
The case is scheduled to return to court next month.