Prominent Indian criminal lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, known for representing high-profile clients in major financial scam cases, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault in London.
The London Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Indian Express that the 57-year-old advocate was taken into custody from a property in Mayfair, an affluent area in the city’s West End.
According to a statement shared by the police, officers attended a residence on Brick Street following reports of sexual assaults that allegedly took place on May 26 and August 9.
Along with Aggarwal, a 41-year-old woman identified as Manpreet Kaur — believed to be his personal assistant — was also arrested from the same address.
While Aggarwal faces four counts of sexual assault, Kaur has been charged with two counts of “intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an either way offence”.
Under the UK legal system, an ‘either way offence’ refers to a crime that can be tried in either a lower magistrates’ court or a higher crown court, depending on the severity of the allegations.
Also, in the UK, being formally ‘charged’ means that the police and prosecutors have concluded there is enough evidence to officially accuse a suspect of a crime, thereby initiating court proceedings. In the Indian criminal justice system, this stage is broadly equivalent to an investigating agency filing a chargesheet before a magistrate, which formally sets the stage for a trial.
Both accused appeared before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court shortly after being charged. They were subsequently remanded in custody and are directed to appear at the Southwark Crown Court on September 10.
The police investigation into the Mayfair property also led to the arrest of two other individuals – a 23-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman. However, the Metropolitan Police noted that they have been “bailed pending further enquiries”.
This legal provision allows suspects to be released from police custody while investigators continue to gather evidence. In the UK, the police do not disclose the identity of persons that have not been charged with a crime.
Authorities have also not disclosed the identities of the complainants, but the police statement confirmed that the two women who reported the assaults “continue to be supported by specialist officers”.
A Delhi-based lawyer, Aggarwal first rose to national prominence as a defence counsel representing several accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case. Over the years, his practice has focused heavily on white-collar crime.
He has represented numerous high-profile individuals facing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
Besides fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, ICICI-Videocon loan scam case accused businessman Deepak Kochhar, AgustaWestland case suspect Rajiv Saxena and former Yes Bank managing director Rana Kapoor, Aggarwal’s clientele includes politicians such as former Union telecom minister A Raja, DMK leader Kanimozhi and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal.
