Disability support worker Harjeet Singh Saini bailed on sex worker rape charges

Five sex workers claim they were left high and dry after Harjeet Saini allegedly failed to pay them for tens of thousands of dollars worth of sexual services. Saini has now been charged with rape.

Harjeet Singh Saini, 37, was granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court last month on a string of sexual assault charges against sex workers. Picture: Instagram

A disability support worker and amateur body-builder has been hit with a string of rape charges amid allegations he failed to pay for thousand of dollars worth of sex with a host of Sydney escorts.

Police allege Harjeet Singh Saini, 37, is a serial rapist who boasted about winning up to $1 million on Lotto and even showed some of the women bulging bank accounts after hiring their services from a well-known internet site between February and July this year.

It is alleged Saini booked different sessions with different workers, including 30-minute encounters costing about $300, two-hour “spicy service” sessions for $1000, and all-inclusive overnight visits costing between $4,000 and $12,000.

According to documents tendered to the NSW Supreme Court, police allege Saini falsely claimed to have paid the workers electronically for each service - even showing them bank transfer receipts on his phone - only for the funds to never arrive.

Saini allegedly told one of the women that he was into body building.

He said he had competed in a body sculpting event.

The court heard most of the workers did not discover the alleged deceit until after Saini had left for the night.

They claimed their attempts to recover the outstanding money proved fruitless, with Saini either ignoring their phone calls or blocking them on social media.

One woman told police she served a letter of demand on the Marsden Park gym where Saini worked out in the hope of finally getting paid, while another contacted his personal trainer, who said Saini was no longer his client.

A third woman told detectives Saini had blamed his bank’s slow processing when she questioned him about the missing funds.

Court documents said one worker alleged Saini not only failed to pay her for their session, but claimed he also stole $800 she had sitting in her bedside drawer from a previous client.

Each of the workers reported Saini to police, resulting in detectives raiding his Blacktown home on July 16.

It is alleged Saini resisted arrest when police tried to handcuff him and punched a female officer in the face before fleeing on foot.

He was arrested a short time later after a police tracker dog discovered him hiding in nearby bushland.

Saini was charged with a host of offences including eight counts of sexual intercourse without consent, with police alleging his actions in failing to pay the workers amount to a “fraudulent inducement” for sex under the state’s strengthened consent laws, which were introduced in 2022.

Harjeet Singh Saini on Instagram.

Harjeet Singh Saini outside court on Tuesday.

Under the revised laws, a person does not consent to sexual activity if they participate in it because of a fraudulent inducement.

According to court documents, police will argue the women only agreed to have sex with Saini on the condition they be paid, and would not have participated if they knew he wasn’t paying them.

Saini, who told one of the women he was into body building and had recently competed in a body-sculpting event, was remanded in custody after his arrest and spent three months behind bars before being released on conditional bail by the NSW Supreme Court last month.

Prosecutors opposed Saini’s application, noting the case against him was a strong one and he faced a lengthy jail term if convicted.

Defence barrister Varinder Pawar said his client would abide by strict conditions if released, while Saini’s sister had agreed to lodge a $20,000 surety to ensure her brother turned up to court in the future.

Saini’s cousin provided an affidavit to the court in which he said the 37-year-old had been employed as a disability support worker with Community Connections Australia for more than 15 years and had always been hard working, social and friendly.

However, he said his cousin changed following the breakdown of his marriage in 2020.

“Lately I noticed he was withdrawn and missing in the family or friend gatherings,” he said.

He further wrote that he was “surprised” to learn about the sexual assault charges agains Siani, saying he believed that “this kind of behaviour is out of character”.

Justice Natalie Adams agreed to grant Saini strict bail but banned him from attending brothels or contacting any sex workers.

He must also report to police daily, abide by a nighttime curfew and not contact any witnesses in the case.