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Suyash Sinha was arrested after allegedly stalking a woman he met through a dating app. The Canberra court denied bail, citing grave risks to her safety and well-being.
Canberra,Oct 15, 2026 14:52 IST
An Australian public servant of Indian origin has been arrested and denied bail over allegations that he stalked a woman and threatened to use government databases to obtain information about her and her family, Press Trust of India reported, citing Australian media.
Suyash Sinha, 31, was arrested on Tuesday after police searched his home. A court in Canberra rejected his bail application the following day, saying the risk to the complainant's safety and well-being was "too great".
Sinha, who became an Australian citizen last week, allegedly met the woman through a dating app in January, the Region Canberra news portal reported. He is accused of continuing to message her after she rejected his advances.
In August, Sinha allegedly described what the woman was wearing while she was shopping at a Coles supermarket in Canberra and told her that he was also there, according to the report.
The woman later agreed to meet him at a pub to ask him to stop contacting her. During the meeting, Sinha allegedly said that he worked in finance for the Australian Capital Territory government. He also named one of her siblings and claimed that "anyone could be looked up in government systems".
The Australian Capital Territory is a self-governing territory that includes Canberra, Australia's national capital.
The woman later received several friend requests from different social media accounts with intimidating usernames and approached police in September, the news portal reported.
Prosecutors told the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court that the woman was terrified and experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTI reported, citing the state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC News.
The prosecution opposed bail, arguing that Sinha was fixated on the woman and could endanger her safety or interfere with evidence and witnesses. "He's fixated on this person, and he's refused to accept 'no' as an answer to his advances," the prosecutor was quoted as saying by ABC News.
Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson told Sinha that the woman had never expressed interest in having a relationship with him in the 10 months since he first contacted her. "But you did not give up. Ever," Wilson was quoted as saying by the Region Canberra news portal.
Sinha's lawyer disputed the allegations and said he had no previous criminal history. The lawyer also said Sinha had been financially supporting members of his family in India and his brother in Canberra.
Sinha has been remanded in custody and the case has been adjourned to November 4. He remains accused of stalking the woman and threatening to access government systems for information about her and her family.
With PTI Inputs
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