Ah nehs...

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Doxxing cases on the rise in S'pore: His Facebook post led to threats, job loss, daughter being shunned​

A Facebook post made by Mr Avijit das Patnaik in 2018 resulted in some threatening to find him at his home to beat him up. PHOTO: COURTESY OF AVIJIT DAS PATNAIK

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

SEP 6, 2022

SINGAPORE - For about six months, Mr Avijit das Patnaik received harassing messages on social media.
Some senders threatened to find him at his home to beat him up, while others chewed him out for being an Indian national who was taking away "the best jobs" from Singaporeans.
Netizens also dug up photos and videos of his family, including those of his daughter dancing, and posted them on online forums.
This unwanted attention came after Mr Patnaik shared on Facebook an image he had found online of a Singapore flag being torn apart to reveal an Indian flag.
He made the post around India's National Day in August 2018, wanting to show that after years of living here, "my body was Singaporean but my heart was Indian", said Mr Patnaik, now 47.
Netizens found it offensive, with some complaining that the image was disrespectful to Singapore.
A police report was lodged against him - and he received a stern warning. His then employer, DBS Bank, was also pulled into the fray.

Speaking to The Straits Times over Zoom from his home in India, Mr Patnaik said he has no regrets about the post and had not intended to cause offence. But the doxxing experience was "shocking" and stressful for him and his family.
Before the viral post, he had been a frequent user of social media - at least 10 posts a day - and never had a problem, he said.
"Back then, I was an emcee at various events. I was a known guy who knew what to say to an audience. So when this happened, I could not believe things had gone wrong, and eventually I realised it was nothing but destiny," said Mr Patnaik.
He claimed that he was forced to resign from his job at DBS. After the incident, DBS said Mr Patnaik was "no longer with the bank" without commenting further.
"My world crashed. Suddenly you feel everything you invested in in the last 44 years of your life, everything comes down to naught," said Mr Patnaik.
Following the incident, he continued to receive harassing messages for months, which he ignored.
"I didn't think anyone would actually come and beat me up. Most of these trolls hide behind fake accounts and pictures," he said.
But his daughter had a harder time as she was taunted or shunned by friends in school.

Mr Patnaik remained in Singapore for another 1½ years, looking for a job but struggling to find one as an online search by potential employers would call up the incident.
He gave up his Singapore permanent residency in December 2019 - more than a decade after he moved his family here in 2008. He has two children - a daughter, 16, and a son, 12, whom he adopted while living in Singapore.
The family moved back to India in January 2020.
The ordeal has shown him who his true friends are.
"Back then, 50 to 60 per cent of my 'friends' disconnected from me and we've never spoken since. But some of them asked me to stay a few days with them, or spent the weekend with me to be there for me," said Mr Patnaik.
Now retired from corporate life, he lives off his investments and savings while also doing customised travel itineraries on the side.
"In a way, I am thankful to the trolls. I have all the time for my kids and friends now. It's a life people dream about, and now I have it."

 

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Punggol Field murder: Man gets life term, caning for stabbing jogger in 'senseless' killing​

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Selina Lum
Senior Law Correspondent

Sep 15, 2022

SINGAPORE - On the anniversary of the day his father abandoned the family as well as his enlistment, a 20-year-old took a foldable knife and a wet wipe with him on his nightly jog.
Surajsrikan Diwakar Mani Tripathi became angry after he tripped and fell during his run, and decided to attack a stranger who jogged past him.
On Thursday, Surajsrikan, now 22, was sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to a charge of murder in what prosecutors said was a "senseless" killing.
Surajsrikan admitted he stabbed and slashed Mr Tay Rui Hao, 38, an assistant manager at a sports apparel store, near a bus stop in Punggol Field at 11.08pm on May 10, 2020.
At 11.17pm, Mr Tay called 995 and said: "I've been stabbed many times."
An ambulance took him to Sengkang General Hospital, but he later died from his injuries.
The charge of murder with the intention of causing fatal injury carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and caning.

Prosecutors told the High Court that they would not object to life imprisonment, but sought 24 strokes of the cane. The defence pleaded for no caning to be imposed.
In sentencing, Justice Dedar Singh Gill said the sentence will not erase the memories of the painful episode but hoped it could provide some sort of closure for the victim's family.
The court heard that May 10 was a significant date for Surajsrikan.

His father abandoned his mother while she was pregnant with him on May 10, 1999, two months into their arranged marriage, said his lawyer Edmond Pereira.
Surajsrikan enlisted for national service on May 10, 2018. Following an incident where he smashed communications equipment with a hammer in October that year, he was downgraded and discharged.
On the night of May 10, 2020, which was during the circuit breaker, Surajsrikan and Mr Tay left their respective homes for their regular runs.
"Bad memories associated with the date caused the accused to be frustrated and angry," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Chong.

Officers from the Gurkha contingent searching a plot of land in Punggol Field a day after the murder of Mr Tay Rui Hao. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, RUI HAO TAY/FACEBOOK
The prosecutor said Surajsrikan took along a Singapore Armed Forces-issued Swiss Victorinox Trailmaster knife and a wet wipe.
Mid-run, Surajsrikan fell near bus stop number 65559 in Punggol Field, and paced around for five to 10 minutes to work off his anger.
At 11.08pm, Mr Tay jogged past him.
Overcome with anger, Surajsrikan unfolded the knife and chased after the victim.
Upon catching up with Mr Tay, Surajsrikan stabbed him in the back.
As Mr Tay rolled forward to face his assailant and tried to sit up, Surajsrikan repeatedly slashed his arm, chest and abdominal area.
Surajsrikan then ran off, kept the knife in his pocket and cleaned his hands with the wet wipe.
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He wandered around the neighbourhood for the next 1½ hours and threw the soiled wipe away before returning home at about 12.30am.
Surajsrikan was eventually traced through police surveillance camera recordings, which showed him wandering around the neighbourhood with the knife in his hand.
He was arrested at his home on May 16, and the knife, which he washed with hand soap, was found in his bedroom cupboard.
An autopsy found that Mr Tay died from a slash wound on his right forearm that cut a main artery, and a stab wound in his chest that collapsed his lung.
Mr Tay's blood was found on the knife as well as on Surajsrikan's shoes.
A psychiatric assessment found that Surajsrikan had severe social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and dyscalculia, which is a learning disability in mathematics.
The symptoms were found to have "crippling effects" on his life.
A report from the Institute of Mental Health said the significance of the date exacerbated Surajsrikan’s chronic feelings of anger and was the primary psychological driver for his actions.

Mr Tay Rui Hao was slashed near a bus stop in Punggol Field. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
In sentencing arguments, DPP Chong said Surajsrikan killed senselessly, simply to vent his anger over his own circumstances.
“He brutally stabbed the deceased, who was entirely unknown to him, and who was simply going about his own business,” said the prosecutor.
Mr Pereira said Surajsrikan was a troubled youth who had immense difficulty in living his life due to stressors that triggered his anxiety and phobias.
Surajsrikan dropped out of Northlight School - a school for students with difficulties handling the mainstream curriculum - after one day due to anxiety, he said.
During national service, he felt overwhelmed having to work in a confined space with others.
Mr Pereira added that since his remand, Surajsrikan has been placed in a cell by himself due to his social anxiety disorder, and has been prescribed medication for his disorders.
“Our client wishes to apologise to the victim’s family for their irrecoverable loss,” said Mr Pereira, adding that Surajsrikan is deeply remorseful for what he has done to the victim and the pain and hardship he has caused the family.

 

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Man gets jail, caning after abducting sleeping woman for sex​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent


SEP 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - A man spotted a sex worker in deep sleep on a chair in Geylang and molested the unresponsive woman before carrying her off to a nearby area in the wee hours of March 1 last year.
Bangladeshi factory worker Patian Sohag then had sex with the woman, who managed to stagger back to the chair before dozing off.
She made a police report only after she woke up later that morning, and officers arrested Patian three days later.
The 40-year-old man, who was initially charged with rape, was on Friday sentenced to 3½ years' jail with three strokes of the cane after he admitted to a reduced charge of abducting the woman for sex.
Court documents did not disclose the reasons behind the reduction.
Patian also pleaded guilty to one count of molesting her.
After the incident, a blood sample taken from the victim revealed traces of cough suppressant dextromethorphan and sedative nitrazepam.

The detected levels of these two substances were about three to five times the upper ends of their therapeutic ranges.
The court heard on Friday that dextromethorphan can cause sedation while nitrazepam's side-effects include disorientation, confusion and amnesia.
The prosecution said: "The victim would very likely and very probably experience the... side-effects (of the substances)."

Deputy Public Prosecutors Delicia Tan and Phoebe Tan stated in court documents that Patian had earlier gone to Geylang with a male friend to look for sex workers.
However, Patian was unable to find a suitable one as he felt that the prices quoted were too high.
After his friend left, Patian spotted the victim, who was then sleeping in a chair at around 3.20am. He tried to wake her by calling out to her but she did not respond.

He also noticed that she was in deep sleep and did not make any movement.
Patian then molested the woman and asked her if she wanted to have sex with him, but she did not respond.
The prosecutors said: "The accused knew that he had not obtained the victim's consent for sex and decided to compel her to go to a connected lane nearby where there were potted plants so that he could have sex with her there.
"The accused lifted the victim up from the chair by placing both his hands underneath her armpits... he stretched out his hands around her back... and carried her to the potted plants area."
After that, Patian placed the woman on the ground and had sex with her before leaving the scene.
The victim made her way back to the chair at around 3.30am and fell asleep before alerting the police about five hours later.
On Friday, the prosecution asked for Patian to be given up to four years and three months' jail with three strokes of the cane.
The prosecution told the court: "He took advantage of the vulnerable state that the victim was in by molesting her and abducting her for sex, despite being fully aware that she was unable to (give her) consent."
Defence lawyer Ashwin Ganapathy from IRB Law had represented the offender pro bono.
He pleaded for Patian to be given three years' jail with three strokes of the cane, stressing that the offender was deeply sorry for his actions.

 

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Senior lawyer gets 3 months' suspension for breaking promise to opponents​

Selina Lum
Senior Law Correspondent

SEP 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - A senior lawyer acting for one side in a dispute over the takings of a wonton mee stall has been suspended for three months for breaking a promise to the opposing side.
Ms Naidu Priyalatha was handed a cashier's order for nearly $27,000 by the other side, and gave an undertaking not to release it to her client until a settlement agreement was reached.
However, she released the cashier's order to her clients even though the dispute was not yet settled.
In written grounds of decision issued on Friday, the Court of Three Judges said that when a lawyer chooses to deliberately breach an undertaking that was given in a professional capacity, there is cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action until proven otherwise.
"Quite simply, a solicitor should only give an undertaking with which she is able to comply. Once given, there is no turning back," said the court, which is the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession.
"If such breaches are not met with the strongest disapprobation from the profession, it would severely erode the trust one can place on a solicitor's undertaking and fundamentally change the way modern legal business and dispute resolution is conducted."
Ms Naidu, who was called to the Bar in 1980, acted for Mr Ng Kar Kui and his wife Chang Lien Siang in early 2017 in a dispute with their business partner, Ms Wong Siew Lan.

The couple held 30 per cent each of the shares in Balestier Hui Kee, which ran a wonton noodle stall, while Ms Wong, who was the cook, held a 40 per cent stake.
Cash takings from the stall were initially deposited into the company's bank account.
But Ms Wong started putting the money elsewhere after she allegedly discovered that the couple had issued cheques from the account without her knowledge.

The couple were upset by this and threatened to sue her unless she returned the funds.
On Feb 28, 2017, Ms Wong's lawyers made a settlement offer for $26,896.45 to be repaid by way of a cashier's order.
Ms Naidu asked for the cashier's order to be given to her, failing which her clients would start legal action.
Two days later, Ms Naidu agreed to a proposal by Ms Wong's lawyers for the cashier's order to be handed to her, subject to her undertaking that it not be released until parties had reached a full and final settlement.
Ms Naidu's clients started legal proceedings on April 24, 2017.

When Ms Wong's lawyers asked for the cashier's order to be returned, she replied that she held it until April 18 and that her clients had deposited it into the company's account.
The parties eventually reached a settlement a year later.
On Nov 29, 2019, Ms Wong made a complaint to the Law Society of Singapore against Ms Naidu for breaching the undertaking.
Ms Naidu pleaded guilty to a charge of grossly improper conduct before a disciplinary tribunal.
Both the Law Society and Ms Naidu took the position that no cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action existed.
The Law Society argued that the appropriate sanction was a $15,000 penalty.
However, the tribunal disagreed and referred the case to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers.

 

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Fine for technician whose negligence delayed efforts to put out Bukit Batok fire​

Malaiyappan Mayalagu was fined $2,700 after he pleaded guilty to endangering human life by a negligent act and tampering with evidence. PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG, JAMES SANGILI

Osmond Chia

SEP 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - During a maintenance check in October 2019, a technician failed to ensure that a water pump could readily supply water to hose reels in case of a fire at a housing block in Bukit Batok.
His negligence led to a delay in the rescue effort after a blaze broke out within a month, on Nov 1, 2019, as no water could be dispensed from the reels.
Firefighters scrambled to use their own water jets instead. The incident led to the death of a resident, while two others were hospitalised.
During investigations, the technician, Malaiyappan Mayalagu, 51, sneaked into the pump room to reset the water pump to auto mode to hide his mistake.
On Friday, Malaiyappan, who is from India, was fined $2,700 after he pleaded guilty to endangering human life by a negligent act and tampering with evidence.
The court heard that he worked as a technician with J. Keart Alliances, a firm that was engaged by Jurong-Clementi Town Council to do fire protection system work.
His role included conducting monthly water pump checks at the rooftop of Block 210A Bukit Batok Street 21.

He had to set the pump to auto mode when he was done, so that water could be supplied to hose reels during a fire, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh.
But during a check on Oct 14, he set the pump to manual, which requires a user to push a button in the pump room in order for water to be dispensed to the hose reels around the block.
At 4.30am on Nov 1, a fire broke out at a unit on level 13. Some residents of the block tried to access the fire hose reels, but the cabinets were padlocked.

Police officers evacuated some 70 residents. Firefighters came and used a bolt cutter to cut the padlock, but found that no water could be dispensed.
More firefighters arrived and set up two hose line jets that they brought to the scene outside the unit as an alternative, using water from a dry riser.
A firefighter tried to activate the hose reels again, turning on the valve, but still found that no water could be dispensed.
By then, the water jets were ready to be used and the flames were extinguished by 5.15am.

Two residents, who climbed out of a kitchen window to escape, were rescued and taken to hospital.
Another resident, a 60-year-old woman, who suffered smoke inhalation died after over a month of treatment in hospital.
It was soon found that the water pump on the rooftop had been set to manual instead of auto.
The prosecutor said: "The failure of the fire hose reel to dispense water led to a delay of several minutes in the rescue efforts to extinguish the fire."

Malaiyappan Mayalagu's negligence led to a delay in the rescue effort after a blaze broke out on Nov 1, 2019. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
J. Keart Alliances was given feedback on what happened, and the company sent Malaiyappan and two others to the block.
Malaiyappan slipped away from his colleagues and headed to the pump room on the 16th floor and set the switch to auto.
He later admitted to hiding his mistake after his superiors confronted him with security footage of him entering the pump room and warned him not to lie.
District Judge Sharmila Sripathy found that Malaiyappan’s negligent act was one of several factors that delayed rescue efforts and that he did not deserve jail time.
For committing a negligent act that endangers human life or the personal safety of others, an offender can be jailed for up to three months and fined a maximum of $1,500.

 

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Man gets jail, caning after abducting sleeping woman for sex​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent


SEP 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - A man spotted a sex worker in deep sleep on a chair in Geylang and molested the unresponsive woman before carrying her off to a nearby area in the wee hours of March 1 last year.
Bangladeshi factory worker Patian Sohag then had sex with the woman, who managed to stagger back to the chair before dozing off.
She made a police report only after she woke up later that morning, and officers arrested Patian three days later.
The 40-year-old man, who was initially charged with rape, was on Friday sentenced to 3½ years' jail with three strokes of the cane after he admitted to a reduced charge of abducting the woman for sex.
Court documents did not disclose the reasons behind the reduction.
Patian also pleaded guilty to one count of molesting her.
After the incident, a blood sample taken from the victim revealed traces of cough suppressant dextromethorphan and sedative nitrazepam.

The detected levels of these two substances were about three to five times the upper ends of their therapeutic ranges.
The court heard on Friday that dextromethorphan can cause sedation while nitrazepam's side-effects include disorientation, confusion and amnesia.
The prosecution said: "The victim would very likely and very probably experience the... side-effects (of the substances)."

Deputy Public Prosecutors Delicia Tan and Phoebe Tan stated in court documents that Patian had earlier gone to Geylang with a male friend to look for sex workers.
However, Patian was unable to find a suitable one as he felt that the prices quoted were too high.
After his friend left, Patian spotted the victim, who was then sleeping in a chair at around 3.20am. He tried to wake her by calling out to her but she did not respond.

He also noticed that she was in deep sleep and did not make any movement.
Patian then molested the woman and asked her if she wanted to have sex with him, but she did not respond.
The prosecutors said: "The accused knew that he had not obtained the victim's consent for sex and decided to compel her to go to a connected lane nearby where there were potted plants so that he could have sex with her there.
"The accused lifted the victim up from the chair by placing both his hands underneath her armpits... he stretched out his hands around her back... and carried her to the potted plants area."
After that, Patian placed the woman on the ground and had sex with her before leaving the scene.
The victim made her way back to the chair at around 3.30am and fell asleep before alerting the police about five hours later.
On Friday, the prosecution asked for Patian to be given up to four years and three months' jail with three strokes of the cane.
The prosecution told the court: "He took advantage of the vulnerable state that the victim was in by molesting her and abducting her for sex, despite being fully aware that she was unable to (give her) consent."
Defence lawyer Ashwin Ganapathy from IRB Law had represented the offender pro bono.
He pleaded for Patian to be given three years' jail with three strokes of the cane, stressing that the offender was deeply sorry for his actions.

 

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Ex-ship management company director pleads guilty to 5 corruption charges​

Ananthakrishnan Nanda pleaded guilty to seven charges on Sept 22. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Samuel Devaraj

Sep 22, 2022

SINGAPORE - He was a director at a ship management company who controlled other businesses when he entered into an arrangement to obtain money corruptly.
On Thursday, Ananthakrishnan Nanda, 51, was convicted of five corruption charges and two under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act after he pleaded guilty to them.
In court documents, Deputy Public Prosecutors Victoria Ting and David Menon said that Ananthakrishnan, an Indian national, was the managing director of Aoxing Ship Management Singapore, a department of Sinochem Shipping Singapore whichcharters andoperates ships.
His responsibilities included liaising with other companies for goods and services to be supplied to the Sinochem vessels.
At the time, Ananthakrishnan also controlled other companies not affiliated with Aoxing and Sinochem, including Sakura Ship Management, Master Supplies & Logistics and Master Manning Services & Logistics.
In November 2015, he was introduced to Mr Kunal Chadha, the director and general manager of Marine Care Singapore, which supplies marine chemicals and equipment for the cleaning and maintenance of ships.
At that time, Aoxing was planning to start a tank cleaning and optimisation programme to increase the cleanliness and efficiency of Sinochem vessels.

On Dec 3, 2015, Ananthakrishnan met Mr Kunal to discuss engaging Marine Care as a vendor for Aoxing. The menagreed that in return for deals from Aoxing and Sinochem, Marine Care would pay Ananthakrishnan's company Sakura 10 per cent of the money it received from Aoxing and Sinochem.
"This was a reward paid to the accused for advancing Marine Care's business interests with Aoxing," said the prosecution.
Shortly after the meeting, Ananthakrishnan recommended Marine Care to his immediate supervisor, and on Dec 18, 2015, Marine Care was registered as an approved Sinochem vendor.

Ananthakrishna then directed his subordinates to use Marine Care as a preferred chemical supplier.
As proposed by Mr Kunal, every quarter, Marine Care would collate a list of all invoices it issued to Aoxing, and inform Ananthakrishnan and a Sakura director what was 10 per cent of the total amount invoiced.
While Ananthakrishnan had initially agreed on the 10 per cent payout to Sakura, he eventually arranged for his other company, Master Supplies & Logistics, to issue invoices corresponding to that amount.
The invoices bore the letterhead of Master Supplies & Logistics but stipulated that payment should be made to the bank accounts of Master Manning.
While the invoices stated that the 10 per cent was for technical services rendered to Marine Care, the latter never received such services, said DPP Menon.
After ensuring that Aoxing fully paid Marine Care the amount shown on the vendor's invoices, Marine Care would pay Master Manning 10 per cent of that amount, as reflected in Master Manning's invoices.

Marine Care would not pay Master Manning until Aoxing had completed payment.
Among the amount Marine Care transferred to Master Manning totalled US$9,416.68 (S$13,324).
Ananthakrishna is due to appear next in court in February 2023 for his mitigation and the prosecution's sentencing submissions to be heard.
Court documents do not say if there are cases against others involved in this case.
For each corruption charge, he can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $100,000 or both.
He can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000 or both for each offence under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.

 

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Jail, caning for drug abuser who rammed into pedestrian during high-speed police chase​

A female pedestrian was hit by the car Vaswani Richard Prakash drove in the incident on Feb 12, 2021. PHOTOS: SCREENGRABS FROM SG ROAD VIGILANTE - SGRV/FACEBOOK

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

SEP 28, 2022

SINGAPORE - A man who led police on a high-speed chase through Toa Payoh was on Wednesday sentenced to more than nine years' jail for drug, traffic and other offences.
A female pedestrian was hit by the car Vaswani Richard Prakash drove in the incident on Feb 12, 2021.
She suffered multiple injuries, including a fracture to her left ankle.
Vaswani, 36, had on Sept 14 pleaded guilty to a range of offences including drug abuse, causing grievous hurt while driving in a dangerous manner and driving while under disqualification.
The court heard that at the time of the high-speed chase, Vaswani was serving a remission order, which was in force until Aug 18, 2021.
This was after his release from jail for an undisclosed offence on Oct 23, 2019.
As part of the remission order, he was supposed to keep himself out of trouble.

Instead he was arrested on June 8, 2020, after a woman he was with in a car tried to avoid a police roadblock.
The court heard that Vaswani was a passenger in the car.
The woman, who was driving the car, did not have a driving licence.

After spotting the roadblock at a slip road into Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, the woman reversed the car.
It struck a kerb and police arrested her soon after. Court documents did not disclose the outcome of her case.
Vaswani was uncooperative and aggressive, and had to be arrested.

He submitted his urine samples at a police station and they were found to contain traces of methamphetamine.
The high-speed chase happened while he was out on bail after this incident.
Police had noticed a black Volkswagen speeding along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) at 11.55pm. Vaswani was at the wheels.
When he noticed the police car following him, he accelerated to around 120kmh.
He was driving without a licence and had illicit drugs inside the vehicle.
With him were two passengers - Sharifah Mohamed Wasil, 33, and Muhammad Haikal Ahdam Shah, 27.
Haikal was catching a lift, to return to a halfway house where he stayed.
In a video recording of the chase, which was played in court, the Volkswagen can be seen weaving through traffic along the PIE and cutting across multiple lanes at high speeds.
The car eventually turned into Toa Payoh, driving through nine red lights within three minutes as it darted through traffic.
The police called for reinforcements as the chase continued.
At a pedestrian crossing near Block 111 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Vaswani ran another red light, but the car struck the pedestrian.
He continued driving, but soon lost control of the vehicle before it collided with a road divider.

A screengrab from a video showing the black Volkswagen after it crashed into a road divider along Lorong 2 Toa Payoh in 2021. PHOTO: SG ROAD VIGILANTE/FACEBOOK
Vaswani and his passengers then fled in different directions on foot. Sharifah was arrested, while the other two managed to get away.
Methamphetamine and other drugs were also seized from the vehicle.
Vaswani was arrested after a three-day manhunt, while Haikal was found after he showed up at a hospital to seek treatment for a leg injury.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Qi Shuen told the court that Vaswani had taken the car from a friend without permission.
On Wednesday, Vaswani was sentenced to nine years, six months, 10 weeks and 182 days' jail.
He was fined $3,000, ordered to receive 12 strokes of the cane and disqualified from obtaining all classes of driving licences for eight years from his date of release.
Vaswani also has to spend another 228 days behind bars, which is half of his remaining remission period of 456 days.

 

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Woman gets jail, fine for stabbing ex-boyfriend, fatal neglect of pet chihuahua​

Wong Shiying

Oct 10, 2022

SINGAPORE - When she moved out of a flat she used to share with a boyfriend in March 2020, Jeya Jayaram left her pet chihuahua behind in the empty unit, returning only occasionally to feed it.
The dog was left in a state of neglect and died of dehydration two months later.
Over the next two years, Jeya, 38, also ran afoul of the law several times, culminating in her stabbing another former boyfriend with a knife during a fight at a void deck in March 2021.
On Monday, she was sentenced to seven months and four weeks' jail after she pleaded guilty to one count each of voluntarily causing hurt with a knife and behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place.
For admitting to two offences under the Animals and Birds Act, she was also fined $5,800 and banned from owning pets for a year.
These were for keeping a dog without a licence and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure it was provided with adequate food and water.
The court heard that Jeya's former boyfriend adopted the dog for her in December 2018.

She had asked him to apply for a licence but he failed to do so. Despite that, she kept the dog.
In February 2020, Jeya broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of the HDB flat they had shared.
She did not take the dog with her and instead took turns with her teenage son to go to the house to feed it.

She last went to the unit on May 22, 2020 and was arrested the next day for unrelated offences. It was only on May 25, after she had been released on bail the day before, that she instructed her son to go feed the dog.
In the meantime, the police had received information that the chihuahua had been left unattended for some time and had gone on May 24 to check on it.
Going to the unit, the police officer saw the canine lying in a filthy cage but reported that the dog had barked. He also saw dry dog food in the cage but wasn't sure if there was any water in the dog's water bowl. He referred the matter to NParks, which dispatched officers to the home the next day.
The officers saw the animal through the window lying in the cage without moving.
Later that night the son went to feed the dog but found it had died.
Court documents showed the dog was suffering from dental disease, hair loss and flaking skin over multiple areas of its body. An autopsy revealed that it was significantly dehydrated with overgrown nails.
About a year later, Jeya got into a fight with another ex-boyfriend.
Bharathan Sundramurthi, 39 had punched her once and she retaliated by punching him several times.
When the victim fell to the ground and was held down by a male friend, she stabbed him twice in his back.
Bharathan's injuries were sutured and he was given seven days' medical leave.
Jeya's pro bono lawyer, Ms Sadhana Rai, said in mitigation that her client had brought a knife with her to meet Bharathan for self-defence.
But District Judge Wong Li Tein said that even so, Jeya had used the knife as an offensive weapon.
For voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, Jeya could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, or a combination of both. Male offenders may also be caned.

 

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Man who slashed Certis officer with sickle and chased another officer convicted​

Vickneswaran Sivan slashed the Certis enforcement officer's hands and legs at least four times with the sickle. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Jessie Lim

Oct 13, 2022

SINGAPORE - Unhappy because his friend was issued a summons for smoking at a void deck, Vickneswaran Sivan attacked a Certis enforcement officer with a sickle.
He slashed the man's hands and legs several times, resulting in the victim suffering lacerations to his thigh and calf and being given 141 days of hospitalisation leave.
On Wednesday, Vickneswaran, 32, was convicted of seven charges including voluntarily causing grievous hurt and causing hurt to a public servant.
The court heard that on Nov 9, 2020, he was drinking with two friends at a void deck of a Housing Board block in Canberra. One of them, a 41-year-old man, was holding a lit cigarette.
Mr Mohamad Afiq Mohamad Jamil, 29, was patrolling the area with a Cisco auxiliary police officer who informed the man that he had committed an offence.
Vickneswaran asked why the authorities always issued summons to them.
After the auxiliary police officer issued the summons, he and Mr Afiq were followed by Vickneswaran, who grabbed a sling bag that Mr Afiq was carrying.

Mr Afiq told Vickneswaran that the Certis duo were simply doing their jobs.
Vickneswaran continued to advance towards them and spat at the auxiliary police officer.
He then went around the area searching for a weapon. Finding a sickle with a curved blade that measured 16cm, he challenged the Cisco duo to a fight and punched the auxiliary police officer in the face.

Vickneswaran slashed Mr Afiq's hands and legs at least four times.
He then chased the auxiliary police officer, who managed to escape.
The police were alerted by members of the public. Vickneswaran, who took a taxi home after his unsuccessful chase, was arrested the next day.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei said in her written submissions that Mr Afiq's injuries have impaired his capacity to engage in recreational activities and carry out his job. He had to be redeployed as a result, she noted.
Although he is expected to make a full recovery, he has permanent skin scars.

DPP Tan asked for a sentence of at least 13 years and eight months' jail and nine strokes of the cane. "Caning is clearly warranted, given the inordinate violence exhibited by the accused during the attack and the seriousness of the victim's injuries," she said.
According to court documents, Vickneswaran also committed various offences against his wife between 2020 and 2021, including punching and kicking her and stealing $1,930 from her bank account.
His case has been adjourned for further mention on Nov 30.
Those who voluntarily cause grievous hurt can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
For voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned.

 

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Your picture: Walkway blocked by shopkeepers’ goods​

PHOTO: SHAN MUGAM SIDAMBARAM

Oct 28, 2022

I refer to the article, “Deepavali celebrations back in full swing after two years” (Oct 24).
The report cited the honorary secretary of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association saying the association was “expecting easily four to five million visitors over the course of the month”.
Given the number of visitors it was expecting over the month, the association should have worked with its members to ensure a safe and pleasant shopping experience.
My recent shopping experience in Little India was an unpleasant one, as shopkeepers had placed articles on the five-foot way in a manner that severely restricted pedestrian movements. Items such as baskets of coconuts, mangoes, and banana leaves were placed on the pedestrian walkways.
I witnessed parents with prams and the elderly having a tough time getting past the obstructions, with some choosing instead to walk on the busy road where they could to avoid the congestion.
This has been happening in Little India during major festive seasons like Pongal and Tamil New Year.
I hope the relevant authorities will act against inconsiderate shopkeepers who place profits above the safety of their customers.

Shan Mugam Sidambaram

 

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Blind widow, 84, recovers nearly $1.37m after suing her two younger children​

Madam Thamby Kannu Parvathi recovered nearly $1.37 million owed from the rental and sale of her late husband’s shophouse. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Ang Qing

Nov 7, 2022

SINGAPORE – A blind woman, 84, successfully sued two of her children to recover nearly $1.37 million owed from the rental and sale of her late husband’s shophouse.
On Oct 31, the High Court dismissed claims by her younger daughter S. Geetha Subramaniam and only son S. Mogan that their mother had gifted them $1.36 million of the proceeds, reprimanding them for their conduct in obtaining her signature for a gift document that no one else knew about except her son’s friend who handled the sale of the property.
The children, who were co-administrators of their father’s estate with their older sister, said they paid the remainder of the sum owed — about $6,400 — in cash to their mother Thamby Kannu Parvathi but could not recall the exact circumstances or details of the payment.
Ruling in favour of the widow, Senior Judge Lai Siu Chiu said the pair exploited their mother’s blindness and advanced age.
The gift document was invalid as their mother was not aware she had given away her half of the Little India shophouse when she signed the document, the court held.
The shophouse, in Dunlop Road, was among several properties left by Madam Thamby’s husband Subramaniam Govindasamy when he died in 2013.
The properties included four shophouses along Martaban Road in Balestier. Currently, Madam Thamby lives with the daughter of her estranged eldest daughter in one of these houses, while Ms Geetha and Mr Mogan separately occupy another two of these houses.

As the Little India shophouse had not been covered by Mr Subramaniam’s will, which had been prepared by Ms Geetha, his widow was entitled to half a share under the Intestate Succession Act.
In 2016, the property was sold for more than $2.6 million, with the sale completed on April 7, 2017 and the proceeds to be divided among the children and their mother.
A few days later, the widow signed the gift document – prepared by Ms Geetha – that stated that $1.36 million of her share of the sale proceeds would go to Ms Geetha and Mr Mogan.

Madam Thamby testified that in 2017 she asked Ms Geetha for her share of the sale proceeds, and again in 2018 or 2019.
When the widow was told by her younger daughter that she did not have a share in the sale proceeds, she approached her elder daughter in or around 2019 who told her mother that she should have received half of the sale proceeds, and took her to a lawyer.
After consulting her current lawyers, the widow took legal action against her two younger children, with her solicitors issuing a letter of demand dated Oct 18, 2019.
The siblings argued that after signing the gift document in 2017, Madam Thamby did nothing to dispute it for over two years, which was an indication that she intended to give away her share of the proceeds.
The judge disagreed with their reasoning, noting that while their mother could live independently, she needed help to venture out of her home, to find a lawyer and be taken to see them.

She determined it was highly unlikely that the widow had even been given a copy of the gift document the day after she signed it as Mr Mogan claimed.
Labelling the pair as “wholly unreliable”, the judge cited how the siblings claimed that the sale of the Dunlop Street property was first mooted on Oct 29, 2016, but this was contradicted by the agency agreement to sell the shophouse that Ms Geetha and Mr Mogan signed on Oct 1, 2016.
The property agent handling the sale, a friend of Mr Mogan’s, should not have witnessed the signing as he was not an independent third party who could be objective, the judge said.
He also confirmed that he did not read or know the contents of the gift document.
The contents of the gift document were incorrect and/or false, the judge said, adding that among other things, no evidence was produced to show that the siblings had taken care of their parents before their father’s death.
Said Justice Lai: “Even if the defendants and Geetha in particular took care of the deceased while he was alive, why should the plaintiff have to thank them on his behalf by forgoing her inheritance?
“The defendants seem to have put a very substantial price on their filial piety to their late father and to their surviving mother.”

 

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Man jailed for assaulting mother, who was in hospital for 20 days after attack​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Nov 8, 2022



SINGAPORE - A man got into an argument with his 67-year-old mother over a faulty drawer and assaulted the woman, who had to be hospitalised for 20 days after the attack.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur said that Mahgandran Narahjah, now 44, pushed his mother before using a broomstick to hit her arms on June 9, 2021.
The DPP added: “After the victim got up, the accused kicked the victim’s stomach once, causing her to fall to the ground again.
“The victim got up... and (his girlfriend) tried to separate the parties by escorting the victim out of the unit. The accused, however, trailed the victim and hit the victim’s left arm multiple times with his shoe that was kept at the corridor area.”
Mahgandran married his girlfriend in June 2022, and assaulted his 38-year-old wife two months later.
On Tuesday, he was sentenced to a year and a week’s jail after pleading guilty to charges that include two counts of assault.
This is the second reported case in recent days involving an offender who assaulted his mother.

On Nov 2, Kiong Boon Wee, 26, was jailed for seven months and five weeks after he admitted to assaulting both his parents, among other offences.
In the current case, Mahgandran had gone drinking on June 9, 2021, before he returned home with his girlfriend to the Bukit Batok flat they shared with his mother, said DPP Kaur.
He later argued with his mother before attacking her, leaving bruises on her head and limbs.


A neighbour alerted the police, and officers arrested Mahgandran.
His mother was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), where she was warded for 20 days.
Mahgandran was released on a personal bond on June 11, 2021, and in June 2022, he married his girlfriend.

On Aug 16 at 8pm, his wife saw him punching their pet dog in the face. When she tried to stop him, he began assaulting her.
DPP Kaur said: “He pushed the victim into the toilet, grabbed the victim’s head and hit it against the wall. The victim then grabbed the accused’s mobile phone and called the police for assistance.”
Mahgandran’s wife managed to push him out of the toilet and locked the door. He began banging on the door.
When she opened it, he pushed her, and she fell to the ground. Mahgandran then grabbed her by the neck, slapped her and used his phone to hit her in the mouth.
Police officers arrived at the unit soon after and separated the pair.
Mahgandran’s wife was taken to NTFGH, where she was treated for injuries, including a mild abrasion on her lower lip.

 

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Man jailed 4 months for role in cheating Football Association of Singapore​

Nadine Chua


NOV 18, 2022

SINGAPORE - A man was sentenced to four months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to his role in cheating the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
Shankar Suppiah, 45, admitted to five counts of cheating on Friday. He was the sole proprietor of All Resource Network (ARN), which has specialised in event management and the sale of sporting and recreational goods since 2017.
At the time of the offences, ARN was a supplier of the FAS, which is the Republic’s governing body for football and is responsible for advancing the sport here and managing the national team.
Rikram Jit Singh, 42, was handling commercial and business development as FAS’ deputy director, while his wife, Asya Kirin Kames, 35, set up ARN in 2014, before Shankar took over as its sole proprietor. Rikram and Shankar are childhood friends.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Victoria Ting said that some time in 2017, Rikram told Shankar that he and Asya were about to get married and that it would lead to a conflict of interest.
FAS’ regulations prohibit business transactions or contracts between those in positions of conflict of interest.
“In order to conceal such conflict of interest from FAS, Rikram asked Shankar to take over as sole proprietor of ARN, although he and Asya would continue to manage the company,” she said.

Shankar agreed to the arrangement so that ARN could continue dealing with the FAS.
DPP Ting said he did so because he felt that as Rikram’s friend, he could not reject the request. Shankar did not earn a salary for his role in ARN.
Shankar was also asked to open a corporate bank account under ARN’s name. While he was the sole owner and signatory of this account, it was managed by Rikram and Asya, who kept the Internet banking token, the court heard.
Shankar would on occasion sign cheques and withdraw cash from the account on instructions from the couple.
During this time, five ARN invoices amounting to $110,500 were submitted to FAS’ marketing department and, subsequently, the finance department.
“Shankar, Rikram and Asya thereby entered into a conspiracy to cheat FAS by submitting ARN invoices which dishonestly concealed Rikram’s interest in ARN. Had FAS known of Rikram’s interest in ARN, it would not have disbursed payment to ARN,” said DPP Ting.
Rikram and Asya have not been dealt with. They were each charged with 45 counts of cheating in December 2020.
Before meting out the sentence, Principal District Judge Victor Yeo noted that Shankar did not benefit financially from the conspiracy and accepted that he was genuinely remorseful for committing the offences.
Those who cheat may be jailed for up to three years and/or fined.

 

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Lorry driver who crashed into truck, killing 2 passengers, gets jail and driving ban​

The lorry collided with a stationary tipper truck on the PIE on April 20, 2021. PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO FILE

Wong Shiying

Nov 28, 2022

SINGAPORE - A lorry driver did not keep a proper lookout while driving on the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) and collided into a truck, killing two passengers seated in the rear cargo area and grievously injuring eight others.
Vellaichami Prabu, 38, was on Monday sentenced to one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention, and causing the death of Bangladeshi Hossain Toffazal, 33, and Mr Sugunan Sudheeshmon, a 28 year-old Indian national.
Another two charges of failing to keep a proper lookout ahead in the accident in April 2021 were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Vellaichami, an Indian national who has been working in Singapore since 2005, will also be banned from driving all classes of vehicles for eight years after his release from prison.
The court heard that Vellaichami had driven to Tuas at 5.45am on April 20, 2021, to pick up 17 passengers, including Mr Hossain and Mr Sugunan, who were seated on the left side of the lorry’s cargo bed. He then drove to Jurong West to pick up his supervisor.
At around 6am, waste collection truck driver Nijamuddin Mohammad was travelling on the PIE in the direction of Changi when he heard one of the truck’s tyres bursting.
He then stopped the truck along the road shoulder and turned on the vehicle’s hazard lights.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Chua noted that the truck partially protruded into lane five of the five-lane expressway as the road shoulder was relatively narrow.
At around this time, Vellaichami was driving his lorry on the PIE and switched from lane four to five as he intended to exit the expressway.
He failed to keep a proper lookout, however, and noticed the truck only when it was about two lorry lengths ahead of him.

Said DPP Chua: “The accused tried to swerve the lorry, but he was unable to avoid the truck. The front left of the lorry collided into the right rear of the truck.”
Footage of the crash was played in court, and it showed that the impact crumpled the lorry’s front portion and smashed its windscreen.

According to a medical report, Mr Hossain was bleeding from both ears and had a skull fracture. He went into cardiac arrest when he arrived in hospital and could not be revived. Mr Sugunan suffered serious head injuries and was in the intensive care unit, but his condition deteriorated and he died on April 22.
On top of the two deaths, eight passengers on the lorry also suffered grievous hurt.

Seeking 10 to 15 months’ jail for Vellaichami, DPP Chua said the gravity of harm caused is significant.
“The accused had no excuse for failing to see the truck, considering the large size of the vehicle, its hazard lights were turned on, traffic was light, and the truck was stationary for at least 17 seconds before the accused’s lorry collided with it,” he added.
Vellaichami’s lawyer, Mr Edmund Nathan from Lions Chambers, sought four to six months’ jail instead, saying that his client did not see the truck till it was too late because it was still dark when the accident occurred at 6am.
“The truck driver could also have parked his truck properly in a safer zone rather than to stop at a bend that was relatively narrow,” he said.
Mr Nathan added that his client is under financial stress as the sole breadwinner of his family and that his 11-year-old mentally disabled son is unable to walk or talk.
For driving without due care and causing death, Vellaichami could have been fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to three years.

 

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Man who started fire outside flat occupied by ex-girlfriend’s fiance jailed for 6 months​

Surenthiran Sugumaran decided to start a fire to cause inconvenience to his ex-girlfriend’s fiance before their wedding ceremony. PHOTO: ST FILE

Jessie Lim

DEC 9, 2022


SINGAPORE - Filled with anger and jealousy when he found out that his former girlfriend was getting married, a man started a fire outside the Housing Board flat where her fiance lived.
On Friday, Surenthiran Sugumaran, 30, was sentenced to six months’ jail.
He was convicted in October after he pleaded guilty to one charge of committing mischief by fire, knowing that he was likely to cause damage to property.
On March 11, he found out through an Instagram post that his former girlfriend was getting married to Mr Mohammad Azli Mohammad Salleh the following day.
Surenthiran decided to lock the front gate of the man’s flat and start a fire to cause inconvenience to Mr Azli before his wedding ceremony.
At or around 3.35am on March 12, Surenthiran left home with an empty 1.5 litre bottle, a bicycle lock and a lighter. He filled the bottle with petrol from his motorcycle.
Clad in a black hoodie, which he later used to cover his face to avoid detection by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, he arrived at the victim’s block, taking a lift to the 12th storey and the stairs to the 13th storey.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Bharat S. Punjabi said in October that Surenthiran took this route to further evade CCTV scrutiny.
After starting the fire, Surenthiran walked down to the 12th storey and took the lift to the ground floor. He threw the lighter into some bushes before returning home.
When Mr Azli opened his unit door at 8.22am and found his front gate locked and several shoes burnt, he called the police.
The fire damaged property, including two pairs of Nike shoes, with an estimated value of $410 in total.
Court documents did not say how Surenthiran was caught.
DPP Bharat added: “While the damage caused was not extensive, there was clear endangerment to lives as the fire was right outside the victim’s unit and within a residential block. The use of an accelerant in the form of petrol also aggravates the potential harm that could have been caused.”
On Friday, District Judge Eugene Teo said in sentencing that “such offences are very dangerous for the occupants in the flat”.
“I have to take into account the circumstances in which you planned out these offences, including the fact that you also locked up the premises and the purpose for which you committed these series of acts.”
Those who commit mischief by fire intending to cause or knowing it will likely cause damage to property can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.

 

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Jail, caning for man who slashed Certis officer with sickle, broke wife’s ribs in separate incidents​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Dec 15, 2022

SINGAPORE - A man who attacked a Certis enforcement officer with a sickle, causing injuries including deep wounds on the latter’s legs, was on Thursday sentenced to 11 years and nine months’ jail with nine strokes of the cane.
The victim, Mr Mohamad Afiq Mohamad Jamil, 29, was given 141 days of hospitalisation leave after the attack on Nov 9, 2020. He is expected to make full recovery, but will have permanent scars.
His assailant, Vickneswaran Sivan, 32, committed the offence after he flew into a rage when he saw his friend being issued a summons for smoking at the void deck of a Canberra Link block of flats in Sembawang.
Before handing down the sentence on Thursday, District Judge Marvin Bay noted that Vickneswaran had shown contempt towards authority.
The judge added: “It would be a moral hazard if officers were deterred from fearlessly and conscientiously performing their functions, flowing from any concern that they might face physical harm...from the very individuals whose conduct and compliance they were policing.”
In unrelated incidents, Vickneswaran was out on bail when he used criminal force on his wife, who was then almost seven months’ pregnant, on Nov 19, 2020, by pulling her hair and bag.
In June 2021, he assaulted the woman, causing fractures to her nose and ribs.

Vickneswaran had pleaded guilty in October to seven charges, including voluntarily causing grievous hurt and causing hurt to a public servant.
He was with two friends at the Canberra Link void deck shortly before the attack on Nov 9, 2020, One of them, a 41-year-old man, was holding a lit cigarette.
Mr Afiq was patrolling the area with a Certis auxiliary police officer, who informed Vickneswaran’s friend that he had committed an offence.

Vickneswaran asked why the authorities always issued summons to them. He followed the two Certis officers after the auxiliary policeman issued the summons.
He then grabbed a sling bag belonging to Mr Afiq, who told Vickneswaran that they were simply doing their job.
Vickneswaran continued to advance towards the pair and spat at the 23-year-old auxiliary policeman. Vickneswaran then went around the area to look for a weapon.
Finding a sickle with a curved blade that measured 16cm, he challenged the Certis officers to a fight and punched the auxiliary policeman’s face.
Vickneswaran slashed Mr Afiq’s hands and legs at least four times and ran after the auxiliary policeman, who managed to escape.

Members of the public alerted the police and Vickneswaran, who took a taxi home, was arrested the next day.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei told the court that Mr Afiq’s injuries had impaired his capacity to engage in recreational activities and carry out his job.
She added that he had to be redeployed as a result.
Vickneswaran was charged in court on Nov 11, 2020, and was released on bail.
Instead of keeping himself out of trouble, he pulled his pregnant wife’s hair and bag near Canberra MRT station eight days later.
On June 1, 2021, he assaulted the woman, causing multiple fractures, and stole $1,930 from her bank account.

 

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Last of nine robbers in 2014 heist of over $600,000 gets jail, caning​

Samuel Devaraj

JAN 3, 2023

SINGAPORE - After robbing the manager of a money-changing business of more than $600,000 with a group of men in 2014, Sivaraam Monion fled to Malaysia.
He was arrested by the Malaysian authorities on July 6, 2022. On Tuesday, the 36-year-old Malaysian became the last of nine men to be sentenced for the crime when he was given seven years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
Sivaraam had pleaded guilty in a district court to a gang-robbery charge, with another charge taken into consideration during sentencing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim said Sivaraam borrowed RM10,000 (S$3,000) from one of the accomplices, Tachana Moorthy Peromal, in 2014 to alleviate his financial difficulties, but he eventually could not repay his debt.
In April 2014, Tachana and another man planned to rob couriers from a money-changing business of the cash they were transporting. Sivaraam agreed to join them after Tachana promised to waive his debt.
Members of the group entered Singapore on multiple occasions to conduct reconnaissance and plan the robbery. The group was made up of 8 Malaysians and one Singapore permanent resident.
In October 2014, as instructed by Tachana, Sivaraam and two others stole a Singapore-registered Proton Wira car to use during the robbery.

On Nov 4, 2014, they wore balaclavas to conceal their faces during the robbery and also placed plasters on their fingertips so as not to leave traces of their fingerprints behind.
The manager of the money-changing business, a 35-year-old male Singapore permanent resident, left home with his two-year-old son around midnight on Nov 4 and drove to Changi Airport to pick up money from two couriers.
A bag containing more than $624,000 in various currencies as well as two phones was placed in the boot of the car, and the manager dropped the couriers at their homes in Bedok.

He was on his way to the home of his father-in-law, who was the director of the business, to store the cash when the robbers ambushed him at an open-air carpark around 12.50am on Nov 5.
After he reversed his vehicle into a parking space, one of the robbers drove up and blocked his car.
The terrified victim locked the car doors, but one robber broke a window on the driver’s side and the group shouted at him to exit his vehicle. One of them threatened the victim in Tamil: “You want me to kill your son?”
The victim was dragged out of the car, punched and restrained as his son remained in the front passenger seat. The robbers then grabbed the bag containing the bag and fled.
A witness from a nearby block of flats saw the heist and alerted the police.

The robbers fled to Malaysia but were arrested over several years, with the first in November 2014.
On Tuesday, Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan rejected Sivaraam’s lawyer’s request for a lower sentence for his client on the basis of lower culpability.
Six of the other eight robbers had also been given seven years’ and 12 strokes.
Agreeing with the prosecution’s call for the same sentence to be meted out to Sivaraam, Judge Tan also noted the duration it took for Sivaraam to be arrested meant it was hardly a case of him showing remorse.

 

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Woman who joined daughter in torturing Myanmar maid to death gets 14 years’ jail​

Prema S. Naraynasamy (left) pleaded guilty to 47 charges of voluntarily causing hurt to domestic helper Piang Ngaih Don. PHOTO: ST FILE, HELPING HANDS FOR MIGRANT WORKERS, ST FILE

Nadine Chua

Jan 9, 2023

SINGAPORE – The woman who joined her daughter in torturing a maid from Myanmar to death was sentenced to 14 years’ jail on Monday.
Prema S. Naraynasamy, 64, who was present in court, had no reaction and looked down at the ground when Principal District Judge Toh Han Li issued his sentence.
Judge Toh said Prema’s abuse of Ms Piang Ngaih Don, 24, took place over 15 distinct days. She used either her bare hands or various items to assault the maid during that time.
“The deceased is no longer with us to speak of her suffering but footage from the CCTV (closed-circuit television) showed the shocking picture of the abuse and how emancipated and weak she was before her passing,” said the judge.
After the sentence was meted out, Prema requested to make a phone call home. Her sentence will be backdated to her date of arrest on July 26, 2016.
In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Senthilkumaran Sabapathy noted the shocking and heinous nature of the crime and said this was one of Singapore’s worst maid abuse cases.
He said there was an exceptionally high level of culpability on Prema’s part and that the abuse involved a high degree of physical and psychological harm.

“The deceased was dragged and thrown around the house like a rag doll... Many of us would not even treat inanimate objects in such a manner. Her life was nothing short of a living nightmare and this was in no small part due to Prema’s actions,” said the DPP.
Between October 2015 and her death in July 2016, Ms Piang Ngaih Don was physically assaulted almost daily by Prema and her daughter Gaiyathiri Murugayan, 41. She was deprived of food and rest, and made to shower and relieve herself with the toilet door open.
Prema had earlier pleaded guilty to 47 charges of voluntarily causing hurt to the maid and one charge of attempting to voluntarily cause hurt.


She is claiming trial to one charge of causing evidence to disappear.
Prema had originally faced a murder charge, but was later given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
On numerous occasions, Prema assaulted the victim herself, or with Gaiyathiri, a housewife.
Gaiyathiri, the former wife of a police officer, was sentenced on June 22, 2021, to 30 years in prison – the longest jail term meted out here in a maid abuse case.
Between June and July 2016, footage from cameras installed in their three-bedroom flat in Bishan showed Prema kicking and punching the victim and pulling her up from the ground by her hair and shaking her head violently.

Gaiyathiri Murugayan being taken back by police to her home in Bishan for investigations on Aug 3, 2016. PHOTO: ST FILE

Prema also used objects like a bamboo pole and a chopping board to hit Ms Piang Ngaih Don.
In the last 12 days of her life, she was tied to the window grille at night while she slept on the floor in the same room as Prema, who slept on the bed.
Seeking 10 years’ jail for his client, defence lawyer Rai Satish of Kalidass Law Corporation said Prema abused the maid because she was frustrated due to her daughter’s complaints about the victim.
“The accused is painted to be this vile and wicked person, but this is an unfair characterisation. There were moments of frustration that manifested in physical abuse on Prema’s part, but there were also times when she offered her food,” he said.
Mr Satish added that his client is a loving grandmother, and that a long and crushing sentence would deprive her of opportunities to spend time with her grandchildren.
Ms Piang Ngaih Don weighed 39kg when she started working for the family on May 28, 2015, and was a mere 24kg when she died on July 26, 2016, after another assault.
The autopsy found that the maid died from a brain injury following severe blunt trauma to the neck.
Gaiyathiri had admitted in February 2021 to starving, torturing and killing the maid.
In total, Gaiyathiri pleaded guilty to 28 charges and another 87 charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
High Court judge See Kee Oon described it as among the worst cases of culpable homicide during Gaiyathiri’s sentencing in 2021, noting that Ms Piang Ngaih Don endured agonising physical and psychological harm for a long time before she died.
Gaiyathiri’s former husband, Kevin Chelvam, 43, has been suspended from service since 2016, and faces multiple charges in relation to the abuse of Ms Piang Ngaih Don.
His case is still pending before the courts. Their divorce was finalised in 2020.

 

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13 years’ jail, 10 strokes of cane for man found with more than 500g of cannabis for trafficking​

Nadine Chua

Jan 9, 2023

SINGAPORE - A man who was caught with at least 523.6g of cannabis was sentenced to 13 years’ jail and 10 strokes of the cane.
Narkkeeran Arasan, 45, on Monday pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking controlled drugs.
He admitted during investigations that he was facing financial stress and wanted to sell cannabis to get fast cash.
Court documents stated that at the time of the offence, he did not have any customers yet.
On April 12, 2021, at around 4pm, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) acted on information received and arrested Narkkeeran in Woodlands while he was a passenger in a Grab car.
A search of the car uncovered a black Coach bag from the floorboard behind the driver’s seat.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tessa Tan said a block of vegetable matter wrapped in several layers of plastic which was taped up was found in the bag.

The block was then sent to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for analysis and in July 2021, HSA certified that the vegetable matter was cannabis weighing at least 523.6g.
At least 413.6g of fragmented vegetable matter from the same block was also found to contain cannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabinol derivative.
“The mixture of vegetable matter (stated) above, weighing not less than 937.2g, was therefore cannabis mixture,” said DPP Tan.
She added that the accused knew that the vegetable matter contained cannabis.
She noted that Narkkeeran ordered one “book of cannabis”, which he understood to mean 1kg in weight, on April 11, 2021, from a contact known to him as “R and R” and subsequently paid $3,000 for it.
For having at least 329.99g of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking, an offender may be jailed between five years and 20 years, and may receive between five and 15 strokes of the cane.