Two men will appear at the Old Bailey after a 19-year-old woman of Indian Muslim heritage was kidnapped and murdered.
The body of Celine Dookhran was found at a house in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London, with prosecutors claiming she was raped and attacked for starting a relationship with an Arab Muslim.
Mujahid Arshid, 33, is accused of murdering the teenager. He has also been charged with the rape, attempted murder and kidnap of a second victim, who is in her 20s.
Vincent Tappu, 28, from Acton in west London, is charged with kidnapping both women.
Binita Roscoe, for the prosecution, told the court the two victims were attacked by men wearing balaclavas. According to Roscoe, the surviving woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – said the men used a Taser electrical weapon in the attack. The women were then wrapped in dustsheets, placed in a vehicle and driven several miles.
Roscoe described the surviving woman’s ordeal: “Her face and mouth were covered in duct tape. Her hands were tied with cable ties and her feet were tied with rope.
“She believes a sock was placed in her mouth. She had heard the deceased who was in the shower screaming. The deceased was brought down tied up.”
Roscoe said Dookhran’s family had not approved of her relationship.
The older woman managed to escape, despite having her throat slashed. She is understood to have been treated at a south London hospital after the attack last Wednesday.
A postmortem last Friday revealed the cause of Dookhran’s death was a neck wound.
Both men appeared first at Wimbledon magistrates court on Monday, but will stand trial at the Old Bailey. Arshid is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, while Tappu will appear at the same court next month.
Dookhran’s body was found at a gated six-bedroom house in south London, which police have extensively searched.
Dookhran was born in Wandsworth in 1996, and was the eldest of three children.
Her last tweet, posted eight days before her death, said “Alhamdulillah [praise God] for everything that’s all I can say”.
Following the news of her death, one of her Twitter followers tweeted: “Innalillahe wainna ilaye rajeeon” [”We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”]
“RIP Celine, You did not deserve what has happened, May Allah grant you a place in Paradise. Inshallah.”
Another user posted: “RIP Celine, you were very beautiful and you will never be forgotten.”
