Accused denies charges in sex assault trial

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on December 16, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 35-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting four women denied the allegations Wednesday during cross-examination by the Crown.
Sohil Bindra, who is on trial in Lethbridge provincial court for several sex-related offences in relation to the women, repeatedly disagreed with the Crown prosecutor each time she pointedly asked him if he committed each of the offences.
The accused also denied the allegations earlier in the week when questioned by Calgary lawyer Andre Ouellette, and said all his sexual relations with the women were consensual.
The women, however, testified previously that they did not consent.
One woman testified last month that Bindra assaulted her in his vehicle in the Spring of 2018, and while she didn’t see his face, she recognized his voice because he had spoken to her earlier in the night while they were at a downtown bar. Bindra is charged with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance in relation to the assault against the woman.
Another woman testified Bindra sexually assaulted her after he gave her and a friend a ride home from a bar in February of last year. He is charged with housebreaking and commit sexual assault, sexual assault, and administering a noxious substance in relation to that woman. He also faces a sexual assault charge in relation to the woman’s friend who, the Crown alleges, Bindra touched on the face and kissed without her consent.
A fourth woman told court Bindra assaulted her when she stayed at his house following a Christmas work party in December of 2018.
Bindra, who also faces two charges of drug possession, admitted Tuesday he had drugs in his home, including Dexedrine, which he uses to treat his ADHD, and the male sex hormone testosterone to assist in bodybuilding. He said he never gave any substance to others without their consent.
The trial is scheduled to continue today, during which Ouellette is expected to call another witness to testify before concluding his case.
Bindra is also scheduled to stand trial next month for similar charges against a fifth woman, and again in June for sex offences against a sixth woman.

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