Basharat Wali is in custody after pleading guilty to historic child sexual abuse offences against a vulnerable teenage girl in the Dewsbury area of West Yorkshire. Wali, 46, admitted two counts of indecent assault committed during the 1990s when the victim was a teenager. He is remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 4 June 2026.
Who Is Basharat Wali?
Basharat Wali is a 46-year-old man from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. He is one of four men prosecuted in connection with a Crown Prosecution Service case into historic child sexual abuse committed against a vulnerable girl during the 1990s. Unlike co-defendants Zahid Hussain and Mohammed Chhibda, who went to trial and were found guilty by a jury on 28 April 2026, Wali chose to plead guilty to his charges earlier in the proceedings.
His guilty plea to two counts of indecent assault was entered ahead of trial. He is currently held in custody and will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 4 June 2026 alongside Hussain and Chhibda.
The Offences Against the Victim
The offences committed by Basharat Wali took place during the 1990s in the Dewsbury and Ossett areas of West Yorkshire. The victim was a vulnerable teenage girl who was subjected to sexual abuse by multiple men over an extended period during her teenage years. The long-lasting harm caused by the abuse has been acknowledged publicly by the victim, who described how the experience still affects her life today.
Child sexual exploitation of this kind involves predatory behaviour by adults who target and groom vulnerable young people. The systematic nature of the offending in these West Yorkshire cases, in which multiple men abused the same victim, is a feature that courts treat as a significant aggravating factor in sentencing.
For general information about the prison system or how to support someone in custody, see our guides on finding a prisoner in the UK and booking a prison visit.
Operation Tourway and the Investigation
Operation Tourway is a West Yorkshire Police investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in the Kirklees area. It has been running for a number of years and has resulted in the prosecution and conviction of multiple men for serious sexual offences committed against vulnerable girls over several decades. The cases against Basharat Wali, Zahid Hussain, Mohammed Chhibda, and Jagtar Sahota all arise from this investigation.
The victim’s decision to come forward and disclose the abuse she suffered was central to the investigation. West Yorkshire Police worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to build cases against each defendant, and the prosecutions have been welcomed by support organisations working with survivors of child sexual exploitation.
The Other Convicted Men
Basharat Wali is one of four men prosecuted in connection with the same victim. Jagtar Sahota, 64, from Wakefield, was the lead defendant and was found guilty on 16 March 2026 of 11 counts of rape and 11 counts of indecent assault. Sahota was sentenced on 29 April 2026 to 21 years in prison — the longest sentence in the case so far.
Zahid Hussain, 48, and Mohammed Chhibda, 49, both from Dewsbury, were found guilty by a jury on 28 April 2026 and will be sentenced on 4 June 2026 alongside Wali. All four defendants are from the Dewsbury and Wakefield areas of West Yorkshire and committed their offences against the same victim during the 1990s.
Guilty Plea and Remand
Basharat Wali entered guilty pleas to two counts of indecent assault before the trial of his co-defendants. This guilty plea means that he admitted his role in the abuse of the victim without requiring her to go through the additional ordeal of giving evidence in a trial relating to him specifically. Courts routinely take guilty pleas into account when determining sentence, and defendants who plead guilty at the earliest opportunity typically receive a reduction in their sentence compared with those who are convicted after trial.
Wali is currently remanded in custody and will appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on 4 June 2026. For more information about how sentencing works in England and Wales, including the parole system for those serving custodial sentences, see our guide to the UK Parole Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Basharat Wali in prison?
Basharat Wali is in custody because he pleaded guilty to two counts of historic indecent assault against a vulnerable teenage girl in the Dewsbury area of West Yorkshire during the 1990s. He is remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court on 4 June 2026.
Did Basharat Wali go to trial?
No. Basharat Wali pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault before the trial of his co-defendants Zahid Hussain and Mohammed Chhibda. His early guilty plea means he does not have to be convicted by a jury and will typically receive a sentencing reduction as a result.
When will Basharat Wali be sentenced?
Basharat Wali is due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 4 June 2026, alongside co-defendants Zahid Hussain and Mohammed Chhibda.
Who are the other men convicted in the same case?
The four men convicted in connection with the same victim are Jagtar Sahota (sentenced to 21 years on 29 April 2026), Zahid Hussain (guilty verdict 28 April 2026), Mohammed Chhibda (guilty verdict 28 April 2026), and Basharat Wali (guilty plea). All are from the Dewsbury and Wakefield areas of West Yorkshire and will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court.
What is Operation Tourway?
Operation Tourway is a West Yorkshire Police investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in the Kirklees district. It has resulted in numerous prosecutions and convictions of men for serious sexual offences against vulnerable girls. The convictions of Basharat Wali, Zahid Hussain, Mohammed Chhibda, and Jagtar Sahota are part of this ongoing inquiry.
