West Lafayette man charged with rape

A West Lafayette man has been charged with rape after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman Feb. 6, 2022.

Simranpal Singh, 24, reportedly offered to let a woman sleep on his couch when she said she was locked out of her apartment, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Referred to in the affidavit as Victim 1, the woman told police she was visiting a friend and forgot her keys, so she went to a convenience store on South Street.

Singh, the clerk of the store “offered to let her sleep on the couch at his residence nearby,” the affidavit says. She reportedly agreed and walked to his apartment, where he sexually assaulted her.

According to the affidavit, the woman repeatedly said “no” and continued to physically struggle as Singh was assaulting her. She told police she grabbed her phone and fled the apartment before immediately calling police, the affidavit says.

West Lafayette police conducted multiple interviews with Singh, in which he allegedly admitted being in the convenience store and taking the woman to his home.

He told police he offered to let the woman wait at his house until she could get a ride home and “denied having sexual contact,” the affidavit says.

Singh voluntarily provided a DNA sample that was submitted to the Indiana State Police Laboratory. Police also collected a sexual assault examination kit from the hospital and submitted it as well.

The lab report “indicated the presence of Simranpal Singh’s DNA was present on Victim 1’s breast and vaginal swabs … and the presence of Victim 1’s DNA on Singh’s penile swab,” the affidavit says.

Singh was charged with rape, a Level 3 felony, April 12.

As of Monday afternoon, Singh is listed as an inmate in the Tippecanoe County Jail directory.