Sex attacker was special jubilee guest

During Sunday’s River Thames pageant, the Queen had convicted sex attacker Harbinder Singh Rana, who was invited to the exclusive celebrations by Prince Charles, almost at her side.

The 52-year-old Rana was found guilty of preying on women through posing as a doctor in the 1980’s and served four years in prison for his crime.

Charles had apparently invited Rana as a representative of the Sikh community in Britain for his work for the Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail, a group which sports itself as a promoter of “a greater awareness of the shared heritage between Sikhs and Britain.”

A spokesman for Charles claimed the prince did not know about Rana’s conviction and had invited him as “a leading member of the Sikh community and someone who has done a lot of charitable work” along with other “representatives” from all major faith communities.

However, it is not clear how Charles came to choose Rana as the Sikh community’s representative.

The Sikh Secretariat, which represents the Sikh community interests in Britain, did raise alarms once back in 2002 at the British government’s decision to include Rana among a group of government advisors on religious issues.

“We are aware that Government officials and junior ministers have known about the situation, but have taken no action. Out of a choice of 700,000 Sikhs we cannot understand why someone like this was elected to represent our views,” the Secretariat said.

The revelation that Rana was invited on the Royal Barge to represent the Sikh community is expected to draw condemnations from Sikhs.

Rana was found guilty of five counts of indecent assaults, 11 counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempted assault in August 1986.

The British government and the Queen herself earlier sparked outrage by inviting the Bahraini ruler King Hamad al-Khalifa to a special Diamond Jubilee lunch in total disregard of the ongoing bloodbath he is overseeing in the tiny Persian Gulf country.

At the time the British media tried to pretend that the invitation was made as part of the protocol to invite all foreign royals to the event and that the royals and the government hope the Bahraini despot does not attend.

However, activists including former Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane and Peter Thatchell condemned the invitation of the “blood-stained” despot as “outrageous”, dismissing the offered excuse.

On Sunday, Rana was in close proximity of all senior royals including Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duke of York who were also dined with Hamad last month.

Rana’s invitation raises questions whether royals ever care for socializing with criminals and former offenders.

AMR/JR/HE

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