CANBERRA, October 15: An Australian public servant of Indian origin has been arrested and denied bail in Canberra over allegations of stalking a woman and threatening to use government databases to access information about her and her family, according to media reports.
The accused, identified as 31-year-old Suyash Sinha, was arrested on Tuesday following a police raid at his residence. He appeared before the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson rejected his bail application, citing concerns about the complainant's safety and well-being.
According to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the regional news portal Region Canberra, Sinha allegedly met the woman through a dating application in January and continued contacting her after she rejected his advances.
In August, he allegedly described the clothes she was wearing while shopping at a Coles supermarket in Canberra, claiming that he was also present at the location.
The woman later agreed to meet him at a pub to ask him to stop contacting her. During the meeting, Sinha allegedly told her that he worked in the finance department of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government and mentioned the name of one of her siblings.
He reportedly claimed that information about individuals could be accessed through government systems, raising concerns about the possible misuse of official databases.
Woman Reportedly Feared for Her Safety
According to media reports, the woman subsequently received multiple friend requests from different social media accounts with intimidating usernames. She approached the police in September to report the matter.
Prosecutors told the court that the woman was frightened and experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The prosecution opposed Sinha's bail application, arguing that he was allegedly fixated on the woman and that his release could pose a risk to her safety or lead to interference with evidence and witnesses.
During the hearing, Special Magistrate Wilson reportedly noted that the woman had not expressed interest in a relationship with Sinha despite the period during which he had allegedly continued contacting her.
The court ultimately refused bail, with the magistrate citing the seriousness of the potential risk to the complainant.
Defence Challenges Allegations
Sinha's lawyer challenged the allegations and argued that his client had no previous criminal record. The defence also told the court that Sinha had been financially supporting family members in India and his brother in Canberra.
According to the reports, Sinha became an Australian citizen last week.
He has been remanded in custody, and the case has been adjourned until November 4.
The allegations have raised concerns about stalking, personal safety and the potential misuse of access to government information systems. The case remains before the court, and the allegations have yet to be established through trial.
