Harbinder Singh Rana, 52, was jailed in the 1980s for a series of attacks on women, who believed he was a doctor, in which he performed internal examinations and administered injections.
Rana served four years for his crimes, but has since reinvented himself as a pillar of the community.
And in an astonishing error of judgment the Sikh charity director, who now lives in Walsall in the West Midlands, was allowed to mingle with VIPs on the Royal Barge during Sunday’s River Pageant.
During the afternoon sail, Rana came into close contact with every senior royal including Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
The convicted sex attacker was at times during the 1,000 boat extravaganza just feet from the Queen herself.
He is understood to have met the prince through his charity work for the Anglo-Sikh heritage trail, a group that promotes Sikh culture in Britain.
But palace sources last night said the prince was completely unaware of the charity director’s shameful past-and would never have invited him had he known.
Approached yesterday Rana said that he did not know if he had been vetted and had not been asked about his sex crimes before the event.
He told the Mirror: ‘I was given the invitation and I attended.
'The fact that the Prince of Wales invited me clearly shows what I have done for the community since then.’
He added: ‘I have a relationship with some of Charles’s staff, not him – although I have met him at events, yes.
‘I have made it clear I wasn’t representing the Sikh community, I was there because I was very happy to be invited.’
He said that, although the Queen was at times just ‘a few feet' from him, he never spoke to her or any senior member of the Royal Family while on the boat.
The massive error brings into sharp focus the vetting procedures in place to protect the Royal Family.
Questions will now be raised about why apparently no checks were carried out on his background before he was allowed to be photographed within inches of senior royals.
And an investigation into how such an unsuitable guest sailed through the vetting process will likely soon be under way.
A spokesman for Clarence House confirmed that the prince had not known about Rana’s convictions. She said: ‘Harbinder Singh was asked to take part in the pageant as he is a leading member of the Sikh community and someone who has done a lot of charitable work.
‘Guests of the Pageant including representatives from all major faith communities, spread across a number of key vessels – as with the Royal Family, who were present on a number of vessels.’
Last night the Metropolitan Police confirmed that those travelling on the royal barge would have been security vetted.
But it is thought security chiefs did not deem him a threat to the Royals.
A Met spokesman said: ‘The purpose of a security check is to assess the threat to members of the Royal Family and other protected persons.’
At his trial Rana protested his innocence and yesterday continued to say it was a case of ‘mistaken identity’.
Speaking of his conviction he told the Mirror: ‘It was very circumstantial It is an area I have switched off from my life and got on with it.’
Rana’s previous convictions have caused controversy in the past. In 2002, the Sikh Secretariat, a campaigning group, said it was ‘appalled’ at Rana’s role as a Government adviser.
Mr Rana represented Sikhs on the Inner Cities Religious Council, a group that advised the Government on local issues.
Speaking about his place in the body, the Sikh Secretariat said: ‘We are aware that Government officials and junior ministers have known about the situation, but have taken no action. Out of a choice of 700,000 Sikhs we cannot understand why someone like this was elected to represent our views.’
Mr Rana defended his place on the body, saying: ‘I have never tried to hide my convictions, even though the evidence presented was contentious. Are they saying rehabilitation and forgiveness should not exist? What I should be judged on is the work I’ve done in the Sikh community since that date.’
Mr Singh Rana was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempted assault in August 1986.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2155645/Sex-attacker-Harbinder-Singh-Rana-invited-Royal-barge-alongside-Queen.html#ixzz1x7ATnAue
Rana served four years for his crimes, but has since reinvented himself as a pillar of the community.
Harbinder Singh Rana on board the Spirit of Chartwell during the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thameswith members of the Royal family
Rana spent the pageant in close proximity to the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge
The convicted sex attacker was at times during the 1,000 boat extravaganza just feet from the Queen herself.
He is understood to have met the prince through his charity work for the Anglo-Sikh heritage trail, a group that promotes Sikh culture in Britain.
But palace sources last night said the prince was completely unaware of the charity director’s shameful past-and would never have invited him had he known.
Approached yesterday Rana said that he did not know if he had been vetted and had not been asked about his sex crimes before the event.
Harbinder Singh Rana, director of Maharaja Dalip Singh Trust, just feet from the Queen (left) on board the Spirit of Chartwell. Mr Rana was also the guide for Prince Charles at his tour of the Punjab in 2006 (right)
Harbinder Singh Rana with the The Prince of Wales unveiling a statue dedicated to the last Indian Maharajah, Duleep Singh on Butten Island in Thetford, in 1999
'The fact that the Prince of Wales invited me clearly shows what I have done for the community since then.’
He added: ‘I have a relationship with some of Charles’s staff, not him – although I have met him at events, yes.
‘I have made it clear I wasn’t representing the Sikh community, I was there because I was very happy to be invited.’
He said that, although the Queen was at times just ‘a few feet' from him, he never spoke to her or any senior member of the Royal Family while on the boat.
The revealation will raise questions about why apparently no checks were carried out on Mr Rana's background before he was allowed to be photographed within inches of senior royals
The convicted sex attacker was at times during the 1,000 boat extravaganza just feet from the Queen
Questions will now be raised about why apparently no checks were carried out on his background before he was allowed to be photographed within inches of senior royals.
And an investigation into how such an unsuitable guest sailed through the vetting process will likely soon be under way.
A spokesman for Clarence House confirmed that the prince had not known about Rana’s convictions. She said: ‘Harbinder Singh was asked to take part in the pageant as he is a leading member of the Sikh community and someone who has done a lot of charitable work.
‘Guests of the Pageant including representatives from all major faith communities, spread across a number of key vessels – as with the Royal Family, who were present on a number of vessels.’
Last night the Metropolitan Police confirmed that those travelling on the royal barge would have been security vetted.
But it is thought security chiefs did not deem him a threat to the Royals.
A Met spokesman said: ‘The purpose of a security check is to assess the threat to members of the Royal Family and other protected persons.’
At his trial Rana protested his innocence and yesterday continued to say it was a case of ‘mistaken identity’.
Speaking of his conviction he told the Mirror: ‘It was very circumstantial It is an area I have switched off from my life and got on with it.’
Rana’s previous convictions have caused controversy in the past. In 2002, the Sikh Secretariat, a campaigning group, said it was ‘appalled’ at Rana’s role as a Government adviser.
Mr Rana represented Sikhs on the Inner Cities Religious Council, a group that advised the Government on local issues.
Speaking about his place in the body, the Sikh Secretariat said: ‘We are aware that Government officials and junior ministers have known about the situation, but have taken no action. Out of a choice of 700,000 Sikhs we cannot understand why someone like this was elected to represent our views.’
Mr Rana defended his place on the body, saying: ‘I have never tried to hide my convictions, even though the evidence presented was contentious. Are they saying rehabilitation and forgiveness should not exist? What I should be judged on is the work I’ve done in the Sikh community since that date.’
Mr Singh Rana was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempted assault in August 1986.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2155645/Sex-attacker-Harbinder-Singh-Rana-invited-Royal-barge-alongside-Queen.html#ixzz1x7ATnAue
