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Little India riot: Man says he's mystery hero in video -- then retracts his claim
An electrician stepped forward on Friday (Dec 13), claiming to be the valiant hero seen on camera trying to fend off two rioters who were attacking a bus during the Little India riot.
But by the end of the interview, as questions were raised over the authenticity of several points in the account, he denied that he was the hero as was filmed.
"This was the first time I saw such clear footage of the video," said Mr Thangaval Govindarasu, 38, from Chennai, India.
He added that he had called Tamil Murasu after he saw a screen capture of the man in a plaid shirt published in Thursday's newspaper, which he thought was him.
He then offered to wear the same shirt that he was wearing that evening, which bore more than a passing resemblance to that of the video - it was also checkered, but had smaller squares.
Despite retracting the claim, however, he insisted he was at the scene on Sunday, and that it was all a misunderstanding.
He said that he had helped to ward off the rioters and assist the injured bus timekeeper, Madam Wong Geck Woon, to safety.
He added that the police has not contacted him to give any statement of the scene.
Shopowners who have come forward to say that they recognise the man in the video denied that Mr Thangaval was the one.
Bus timekeeper Madam Grace Wong told The Straits Times that Mr Thangaval is of similar build to the man filmed in the video.
But she is unable to ascertain whether he was there, because it was chaotic and her vision was blurry at the time.
She is sure, though, that Mr Thangaval is not the man in the video because her hero, she said, was injured in the incident's aftermath.
An electrician stepped forward on Friday (Dec 13), claiming to be the valiant hero seen on camera trying to fend off two rioters who were attacking a bus during the Little India riot.
But by the end of the interview, as questions were raised over the authenticity of several points in the account, he denied that he was the hero as was filmed.
"This was the first time I saw such clear footage of the video," said Mr Thangaval Govindarasu, 38, from Chennai, India.
He added that he had called Tamil Murasu after he saw a screen capture of the man in a plaid shirt published in Thursday's newspaper, which he thought was him.
He then offered to wear the same shirt that he was wearing that evening, which bore more than a passing resemblance to that of the video - it was also checkered, but had smaller squares.
Despite retracting the claim, however, he insisted he was at the scene on Sunday, and that it was all a misunderstanding.
He said that he had helped to ward off the rioters and assist the injured bus timekeeper, Madam Wong Geck Woon, to safety.
He added that the police has not contacted him to give any statement of the scene.
Shopowners who have come forward to say that they recognise the man in the video denied that Mr Thangaval was the one.
Bus timekeeper Madam Grace Wong told The Straits Times that Mr Thangaval is of similar build to the man filmed in the video.
But she is unable to ascertain whether he was there, because it was chaotic and her vision was blurry at the time.
She is sure, though, that Mr Thangaval is not the man in the video because her hero, she said, was injured in the incident's aftermath.
