London: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped by a member of a Pakistani grooming gang after which over 200 members of the Sikh community came together in West London gathered to rescue her.
The incident led to hours of demonstrations after which the accused was taken into custody and the survivor reunited with her family, as reported by India Today.
The Sikh Press Association has reported that the accused, believed to be in his late 30s and known for suspiciously “befriending” under-16s in West London’s Hounslow area, began forming a relationship with the Sikh girl when she was around 13 years old.
A video of the rescue that has now gone viral shows the accused being taken into a police van after demonstrations, which were also attended by the girl’s parents.
AK Media 47, a Sikh community group, had earlier posted a video on Instagram showing its lead, Jassa Singh, confronting the alleged groomer, reportedly of Afghan Muslim descent. A neighbour called him a “nasty man” in a “disgusting” relationship with a young girl and said she had seen him with another girl who looked about 12.
The Sikh Press Association claimed that the girl was persuaded to leave her family home when she turned 16, using common grooming tactics. Police have so far been unable to help, as the accused exploited legal loopholes.
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Hounslow has 20 secondary schools, with thousands of children passing daily near the alleged groomer’s home, it has been reported.
It is learnt that UK-based Sikh groups, including Sikh Youth UK (SYUK), have launched a nationwide inquiry into grooming after holding emergency seminars last year to tackle a rise in cases.
Vulnerable Sikh girls are often coerced into relationships that start as platonic, using tactics like “love bombing,” bullying, or manipulation, reports have revealed.
Investigators have claimed that groomers exploit interfaith tensions to isolate victims from their families. Many cases have led to abusive relationships, forced prostitution, and, in rare instances, attempts to recruit girls into terrorist groups like the Islamic State.
British prime minister Keir Starmer had said in June 2025 that a national inquiry into grooming gangs that have sexually abused thousands of girls across the UK, would be conducted, signaling a major shift in the government’s approach to the issue.
The existence of grooming gangs that target young, unsuspecting girls has long been a sensitive and politically charged topic in the country. The scandal, which emerged over a decade ago, revealed that gangs, many predominantly Pakistani, had systematically groomed, trafficked, and raped young white girls in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford.
It was later found during investigations that local authorities and police had ignored reports of abuse for years, often fearing accusations of racism or stirring community tensions.
In early 2025, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had criticised the British government for failing to address historic and ongoing exploitation of vulnerable girls. His comments reignited public outrage and renewed calls for a thorough, independent inquiry.