Vincent Tappu allegedly kidnapped murder victim Celine Dookhran

A man from Acton has appeared at the Old Bailey to face charges of kidnapping two women. One of his alleged victims was 20-year-old Celine Dookhran who was later found stuffed in a fridge in a house in Kingston-upon-Thames with her throat cut. The police had been alerted by the second victim who had given a statement from a hospital bed.

Celine Dookhran

28-year-old Tappu of Spencer Road appeared in the dock alongside Mujahid Hussain who is accused of the murder, rape and kidnap of Celine Dookhran as well as the kidnap, rape and attempted murder of the other woman.

The court was told that the two women were set upon by masked men and bound and gagged and then taken to the house where they were both raped and Celine was killed.

Ms Dookhran’s body was found on 19 July and she was formally identified five days later. Her family said in a statement, "We are proud of Celine for everything she had achieved. We were looking forward to seeing a loving, caring and innocent young girl fulfil her potential in life and carry on making us proud.

"We have sincere belief and full confidence that the perpetrators will face the full force of the law.

"We ask everyone to pray for both victims and their immediate families, and that the vile individuals involved face the full weight of justice upon them."

The murder of Celine Dookhran has been described as a suspected honour killing after the court was told that she had been involved in a relationship with an Arab man. Celine was of Indian Muslim extraction.

The two men both appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 26 July for a preliminary hearing. No pleas were entered, but a trial date has been set for Wednesday, 17 January 2018 and they have been remanded in custody.

A 29-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender in relation to this case was released under investigation on Thursday, 20 July.

July 27, 2017