Accused Rapist Denied Bail Reduction

By DINA EXIL & ROBERT GARCIA

A taxi driver accused of raping a female passenger in May, 2011 was denied a reduction of his $1 million bail on Tuesday.

The defense attorney asked the judge for the reduction at a pre-trial hearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

“He’s a respected member of his community, and we have people here to testify to that,” he said.

The judge denied the motion.

Singh’s supporters in the courtroom included his father, wife, sister and daughter. The defendant hung his head throughout the hearing except for one glance to acknowledge his family.

Singh, 41, was accused of raping the passenger at knife point. “I did not rape anybody,” he told authorities at his arrest. “Sometimes I pick up women, call girls, off the street and have sex with them. I never had sex in the back of my cab… I don’t know how my DNA got in her vagina.”

The alleged victim was on her way home from a night of celebrating Cinco de Mayo,” police said.

She told investigators that she had closed her eyes for a short  time and awoke with bound hands and a knife to her throat.

Singh’s attorney argued at the hearing that the woman was  intoxicated and could have been mistaken.

A trial date was set for March 19.