A UK judge has refused bail to Indian lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, who is accused of sexual assault and human trafficking, citing a significant risk that he could flee the UK to avoid trial.
The bail hearing took place at Southwark Crown Court, where Sasha Wass, representing Aggarwal, argued that her client was a “man of outstanding reputation” and was not a violent offender who posed a danger to women in public.
“The defendant is a 57-year-old practising lawyer hugely respected in India, well known and qualified in dealing with financial crime,” Wass said.
She said Aggarwal’s daughter holds a 5% stake in his law firm and argued that he had strong professional reasons to return to India.
Wass proposed several bail conditions and presented substantial sureties from another lawyer, Vijay Goel, as well as individuals identified as Mr Nayak and Mr Kumar, Aggarwal’s daughter and Aggarwal himself. The proposed guarantees amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“He is not going to give up a high-profile career in India and go on the run… He wants to clear his name,” Wass said.
She argued that even if Aggarwal returned to India, he would be taken into custody and remain there until any extradition process to the UK was completed.
“It is fanciful to say he would interfere with witnesses,” she added.
Wass also referred to various health conditions, arguing that Aggarwal could receive better treatment in the community than in prison.
Allegations against Aggarwal
Aggarwal is accused of sexually assaulting three women at a property in Mayfair who had responded to job advertisements for a personal assistant position between May and August, while he was in London on a business visa.
The court was told that on May 26, Aggarwal allegedly asked a woman who had attended a job interview whether she had a boyfriend and whether she went to the gym. He allegedly touched her collarbone and attempted to move his hand down her chest.
In another alleged incident on August 9, a woman was reportedly told that Aggarwal was looking for “more than an assistant”. He allegedly said he wanted to feel her, hugged her and lay her on a bed before saying, “You should know what type of job this is.”
He is accused of subsequently kissing and sexually assaulting the woman on the bed.
Additional charges of “facilitating travel for sexual exploitation”, an offence under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and possessing £30,000 (around Rs 38 lakh) as the alleged “proceeds of criminal conduct” were added to the four sexual assault charges against Aggarwal.
The £30,000 was allegedly found on August 11, the date of his arrest.
Prosecution opposes bail
Oliver Wellings, representing the prosecution, opposed bail and said Aggarwal appeared to have made contact with around 500 people, with a number of interviews subsequently conducted.
“The Crown’s case is he sexually assaulted at least two complainants and made sexual comments to three in highly organised systematic offending leading to grave offences against multiple complainants,” Wellings said.
He said extradition from India was possible but not certain and could involve a complex procedure.
The prosecution was concerned that, given the alleged organised and systematic nature of the offences, Aggarwal could obstruct the course of justice or interfere with witnesses if released on bail.
Wellings also noted that Aggarwal runs a law firm with around 30 lawyers and has a business partner, arguing that refusing bail would have a limited impact on his professional affairs.
He questioned what Vijay Goel knew about the case and whether he was an appropriate surety. He also raised concerns about Mr Nayak’s position as chairman of a specialist aircraft-leasing company in relation to the alleged flight risk.
“No conditions can be attached to bail to allay the Crown’s fears,” Wellings said.
Judge cites flight risk
Judge Alexander Milne acknowledged that Aggarwal had a successful and sizeable business in India and was “apparently highly respected there”.
However, he said the evidence presented suggested that Aggarwal had allegedly used a recruitment campaign as a means of attracting women who believed they were applying for personal assistant positions.
“On the face of the evidence what is suggested is Aggarwal used a recruiting campaign as a sham to draw in people being offered as they understood it a job as a PA only to find that what was being sought was someone who would be sexually pliant to Aggarwal’s wishes,” Milne said.
He said the allegations appeared to involve activity over several months and described the alleged conduct as a planned attempt to place young women in circumstances where they could be pressured into complying with Aggarwal’s alleged sexual demands.
The judge also said the allegations suggested Aggarwal may have used his position as a senior lawyer, together with money and influence, to pursue his alleged objectives.
Milne refused bail, pointing to Aggarwal’s lack of strong ties to the UK. His family, business and life are based in India, the judge noted, and he also considered the seriousness of the allegations.
The judge said he was not persuaded that extraditing Aggarwal from India would be straightforward if he fled there, noting the significant backlog of cases in India and the lengthy time some proceedings can take to reach court.
Aggarwal, an Indian citizen, appeared in court from Wandsworth prison wearing a grey tracksuit.
His co-defendant, Manpreet Kaur, who is being held at Bronzefield prison, did not appear at the hearing.
A plea hearing for both defendants is scheduled to take place later in 2026, while the trial is scheduled for March 2027.
