Balesh Dhankhar was once a respected figure in Sydney’s Indian-Australian community—a well-spoken professional, a political volunteer, and a self-styled leader with high-level connections. But behind closed doors, he was a predator lurking in plain sight.
His conviction and 40-year prison term for the horrific drugging and rape of multiple women has put a blot on the community’s reputation, exposing a sinister trend of predatory behaviour that has left many asking—has something changed?
“Balesh Dhankhar has rightly been sentenced for a 40-year prison term for his premeditated, despicable and egregious crimes,” Dr Yadu Singh, Secretary & spokesperson, Federation of Indian Associations of NSW (FIAN) told Indian Link. “Our thoughts and prayers go to the welfare of his victims and their families. Our community is largely a peace-loving and law-abiding community. There are however a very small number of people in the community who commit crimes including white collar crimes. These low lives however, do not, and cannot, define us. Reports of these crimes are often covered in the media and unfortunately do end up throwing bad light on the name and reputation of the community. Due to Balesh’s previous high-profile links and leadership positions with OFBJP Australia and other community groups, his crimes may sadly taint our community in Australia.”
It was a case that shocked the community when it came to light. Dhankhar’s crimes were as calculated as they were disturbing. He used fake job ads to lure young South Korean women to his luxury apartment, drugged them, and then sexually assaulted them while filming the attacks. A police raid uncovered a sickening collection of videos and a spreadsheet where he rated potential victims on their vulnerability.
The judge, Justice Michael King, called his crimes “premeditated and highly predatory,” handing him one of the harshest sentences in recent history – 40 years behind bars.
In a chilling coincidence, Balesh Dhankhar’s conviction came on the 10th anniversary of the murder of Prabha Arun Kumar, an Indian woman brutally stabbed to death while walking home in Sydney. A decade later, the issue of violence against women remains as urgent as ever, with Dhankhar’s case serving as a grim reminder that the threat doesn’t always come from strangers in the dark—but sometimes from those who hide in plain sight.
But Dhankhar isn’t the only Indian-origin predator making headlines. Adelaide masseur Sumit Satish Rastogi, 36, has also been unmasked as a serial predator, accused of more than 100 sexual offenses against 40 women. Working at 4Ever Massage in Glenelg, he used his job as a front to abuse clients, secretly filming them and committing indecent acts. Police found more than 700 indecent images on his phone, suggesting up to 200 potential victims. Rastogi has pleaded guilty to nearly 100 charges, with a sentencing hearing expected soon.
For decades, the Indian-Australian community was seen as a model for new Australians — law-abiding, hardworking, and deeply family-oriented. But the rise in cases like these has sparked uncomfortable questions. Are these isolated incidents, or is there a deeper cultural shift taking place? Balesh Dhankhar
Either way, the damage is done. The challenge now is for the community to not only rebuild trust but also confront the uncomfortable truth – predators exist everywhere, even among those once thought to be above suspicion, and perhaps some negative proclivities are being brought to Australia that threaten safety for all.
It pains us to report on International Women’s Day that India ranks very low, in the fourth quintile, in women’s safety. In the Georgetown Institute 2023 Women Peace and Security Index, India ranked 128th out of 177 in ‘Women Peace and Security Index’.
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report, a staggering 4,45,256 cases of crimes against women were registered in India, translating to roughly 51 cases every hour.
Perhaps on this day, we need to put some thought towards what we are doing at the national, community and family level, to teach respectful relationships.
READ MORE: Balesh Dhankhar case: Community weighs in
