Men jailed after student raped and dumped in road

Three men have been jailed after a student was raped, filmed and dumped in a rural road after she was picked up in a car hired for the sole purpose of attacking someone.

Arjan Purewal, Jaskaran Thandi and Hassan Jangheer drove their victim up and down Broad Street in Birmingham in September 2023 before heading to the Clent Hills in Worcestershire.

She was filmed by Purewal as she was subjected to a serious sexual assault before being dumped in Vine Lane in Clent at about 03:30 BST.

Purewal, from Oldbury, was jailed for eight years and six months for offences including rape and blackmail. Thandi and Jangheer, from the West Midlands, were jailed for six years for aiding and abetting rape.

West Mercia Police said officers were called to reports of a stranger rape on Vine Lane on 16 September.

The victim was able to tell police her attackers were in a silver-grey BMW car.

Detectives believe Purewal had hired the BMW using someone else's driving licence and ID documents to target a victim and carry out the rape.

The 23-year-old of Wolverhampton Road was convicted in March last year of rape, blackmail, perverting the course of justice and possession of an identification document with improper intention.

He was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on 9 October to seven years and six months for rape, a one year concurrent sentence for blackmail, a one year consecutive sentence for perverting the course of justice and a further eight months to run concurrently for the possession of an identification document.

Further charges of conspiracy to rape a female and sexual assault on a female were ordered to lie on file. Purewal must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

Thandi, 23, of HMP Hewell in Redditch, was sentenced to six years and four months for aiding and abetting rape and two years to run concurrently for sexual assault.

Jangheer, also 23, of Grenville Drive in Smethwick, was jailed for six years for aiding and abetting rape and also two years to run concurrently for sexual assault.

Det Insp Warren Matthews said: "The behaviour of the perpetrators was appalling, and it is right that they are now behind bars.

"Their vile and predatory actions caused significant harm to the survivor, but we hope the sentencing helps on her path to recovery.

"I also hope this outcome provides reassurance to victims and survivors that when they come forward, they will be heard."

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