BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A 34-year-old Battle Creek man was arraigned in court Monday, accused in the rape of a 16-year-old teenage girl.
Surjit Singh was arrested after the girl accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her earlier this month. Battle Creek Police say she came to the department several days after the alleged assault occurred on the property of a gas station in the 800 block of W. Michigan Ave in Springfield. Singh was said to be an employee there.
The girl told authorities that they had become friends over time. Then on February 9th, she had helped him buy some marijuana before Singh took her into a building adjacent to the gas station where the alleged rape took place. She says he gave her alcoholic beverages and became disoriented quickly.
Police said she didn’t report the incident right away because he was intimidating her. Officers say they found an exchange of texts between the two during the investigation that helped implicate Singh in the crime.
He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and has entered a not guilty plea.
