Gurmeet Singh faces 25 years behind bars.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: New York City cab driver Gurmeet Singh has been convicted on charges of raping a young woman in his taxi almost exactly three years ago.
Singh (42) was found guilty of predatory sexual assault, robbery, and assault by a Queens court on Friday, May 2. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in 2011, in which the unnamed victim hailed Singh’s cab after returning from a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the city; Cinco de Mayo, literally translated in Spanish to “Fifth of May,” is an annual celebration of Mexican culture.
The cab ride ultimately resulted in Singh violently attacking the 29 year-old woman in his cab. According to reports, the woman fell asleep in Singh’s cab en route to her destination, but when she woke up, Singh was on top of her.
Singh gagged and blindfolded the woman, raping her as he held a knife to her throat. He also stole the victim’s cell phone, as well as $20. She suffered minor injuries to her face, and told the court that she was severely traumatized by the incident. According to her testimony, she believed that Singh had every intention of killing her that night.
Singh’s defense argued that the sexual encounter was consensual, and that there was never any rape involved. But jurors apparently sided with the woman, who said that she passed out during the incident and therefore could not have voluntarily given herself over to Singh in any capacity.
The jury deliberated for more than one day before handing down the guilty verdict. As a result, Singh could now face a quarter-century behind bars when he is sentenced on Monday, May 12.
The New York Daily News reports that this isn’t Singh’s first run-in with the law regarding sexual assault. A similar complaint was filed against the cab driver for an incident in Harlem; Singh was implicated, but never indicted or convicted.
Singh’s fate now lies with the courts, which will decide how many years he will spend in jail one week from today.