Trial dates still to be set for Bindra

By Delon Shurtz on March 27, 2021.

A 33-year-old man who is scheduled to stand trial this fall on several sex-related charges, is still waiting to set dates for two more trials on similar charges involving other women.
Sohil Bindra is set to stand trial Nov. 8-19 on charges of sexual assault, housebreaking and commit sexual assault, and administering a noxious substance in relation to four women. The trial was scheduled March 18 in Lethbridge provincial court, where Bindra attended by CCTV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. He was set to return to court Friday to confirm two more trial dates in relation to two other women, but the matter was adjourned again after Calgary lawyer Andre Ouellette said the expected dates had not been set.
The matter is scheduled to return to court April 22.
Bindra was initially scheduled to begin a 14-day trial earlier this month in relation to all six complainants, but Ouellette applied to have the charges, along with the six complainants, separated into three trials to avoid prejudicing the judge. Ouellette said he believes it would be unfair to his client to have the same judge hear similar testimony from six women, stemming from separate incidents.
Judge Eric Peterson granted Ouellette’s severance application on March 8 and the case was adjourned to arrange trial dates.
Police reported in March 2020 that an 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted after attending a bar with a female friend on Feb. 7 of that year. During the evening the pair met a man, and when the 18-year-old suddenly became unwell, he offered to drive the two friends to their homes. After taking the 18-year-old inside, the man left the residence.
He returned a short time later, however, entered the home and sexually assaulted the woman, police said. She was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital for treatment and released later in the day.
Police searched a suspect’s home and recovered evidence related to the offence, including the victim’s cellphone.
Bindra initially faced a single charge of housebreaking and two counts of sexual assault in relation to one woman, and had been released on bail. However, more charges were added later after five more women came forward and said they had also been sexually assaulted. One of the alleged assaults goes back to July 2017.
The accused was taken into custody last March when he attended a court hearing and was subsequently denied bail. He pleaded not guilty the same month to 14 charges.
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