A £10,000 reward has been offered by the Sikh community for information leading to the conviction of two men sought over an alleged rape in the West Midlands. The Sikh Federation UK announced the reward alongside a community poster campaign encouraging people to share dashcam, CCTV and doorbell footage with police.
The incident allegedly took place in the Tame Road area of Oldbury, near Birmingham, shortly before half past eight on the morning of Tuesday, September 9. The victim is described as a woman in her twenties, and police are treating the case as racially motivated.
Police investigation underway
Specialist detectives have examined hundreds of hours of CCTV footage as part of their investigation. Forensic experts are also conducting extensive inquiries into the alleged attack.
Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, the policing commander for Sandwell, appealed for witnesses at the scene on Thursday. "This is a key time for people going to work or school and we need your help if you saw anything that may assist our inquiries," she said.
Police are seeking two white men who were in the area around the time of the incident. One suspect had a shaved head and heavy build, reportedly wearing a dark-coloured sweatshirt and gloves. The second man was described as wearing a grey top with a silver zip.
Community response
The Sikh Federation UK issued a statement explaining their decision to offer the substantial reward. "The Sikh community has in response now put out its own appeal and put up a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of the two men involved," the statement said.
Sikh media outlets are broadcasting the appeal and reward information on community television channels. The federation emphasised that the victim remains at the heart of police inquiries, with officers continuing to support her and provide updates on developments.
Officers arrested a man in his thirties last Sunday on suspicion of rape. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
