An Indian-origin detective with the Metropolitan Police in London has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, Scotland Yard said on Thursday.
Detective Sergeant (DS) Prakash Patel was charged with five counts of sexual assault on July 24. One of the alleged incidents took place on an unspecified date in the summer of 2024, while the other four allegedly took place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, police said.
"DS Patel was charged on Friday, 24 July, with five counts of sexual assault. It is alleged that one of the incidents took place on an unspecified date in the summer of 2024, while the other four took place on Tuesday, 3 December 2024," the Met Police said in a statement.
"The charges relate to four women known to DS Patel. They continue to be supported by investigating officers," it added.
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Who is Prakash Patel
Patel is a Detective Sergeant attached to the North West Command Unit of London’s Metropolitan Police.
He was arrested on April 24, 2025, following an investigation launched by the Central South Command Unit in collaboration with the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards. He was suspended from duty on the same day.
{{/usCountry}}He was arrested on April 24, 2025, following an investigation launched by the Central South Command Unit in collaboration with the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards. He was suspended from duty on the same day.
{{/usCountry}}Patel will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 4.
“Detective Sergeant Prakash Patel, attached to the North West Command Unit, will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, 4 September,” the police added.
Following further enquiries, the case was referred to the UK's Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges last month.
Indian-origin British Airways cabin crew charged
In a separate case involving another Indian-origin man, a 55-year-old British Airways cabin crew manager was convicted of sexually assaulting a female colleague at his home in Bracknell, England on September 1, Tuesday.
An 11-member jury unanimously found Amardip ‘Amo’ Dhariwal, 55, guilty of one count of sexual assault at Reading Crown Court, following a nine-day trial, Thames Valley Police said.
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The former flight manager has been released on strict conditional court bail and is due to be sentenced at the same court on October 29.
How did the crime unfold?
In May 2022, Dhariwal, who was working as an in-flight cabin crew lead for British Airways at the time, invited a female colleague in her twenties to his home in Bracknell.
After spending the evening together, the victim fell asleep on the sofa and awoke the following morning to find that Dhariwal was sexually touching her without her consent. Fearing how Dhariwal might react if confronted, the victim did not alert him that she was awake during the assault, police said.
When Dhariwal went upstairs the victim fled the house, calling a friend for help, before reporting the crime to the police.
"I would like to commend the courage of the victim in coming forward to report this offence and for remaining engaged throughout the investigation and court process," said investigating officer Detective Constable Clare Hickman.
"I also commend the strength and integrity of the two other women who supported this case by providing bad character evidence in the interests of justice, not only for themselves but for one another. All three women have shown remarkable resilience, courage, and dignity throughout.
Dhariwal was also charged with two counts of rape and two further counts of sexual assault in connection with alleged offences against two other female British Airways cabin crew members. The alleged offences took place in Singapore in 2020 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018.