Sultani Bakatash Pleads Not Guilty
Sultani Bakatash, 28, appeared at Bolton Crown Court to deny raping two 14-year-old girls. The defendant pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault, allegedly committed at a Bolton flat on 6 December 2025.
Charges Serious, Trial Set for June 2026
Bakatash entered his plea through a Dari interpreter during a brief hearing by videolink from HMP Forest Bank in Salford. The case is due to go to trial in June 2026. Details from the hearing remain under reporting restrictions to protect the identities of the teenage victims.
Afghan National Remanded in Custody
Bakatash, originally from Afghanistan, was arrested early the next day. He has lived in the UK for two years and holds indefinite leave to remain. His family, including his mother, two brothers, and two sisters, also reside here. Judge Nicholas Clarke KC, Honorary Recorder of Bolton, ordered Bakatash to be remanded in custody until a further hearing on 12 February.
