Ex-national cricketers get probation, jail for housebreaking

[TauChiak]

Updated: 11/13/2013 12:22 | By Channel NewsAsia

Ex-national cricketers get probation, jail for housebreaking

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SINGAPORE: Two sisters who represented Singapore in cricket were on Wednesday sentenced to probation and jail for housebreaking offences.

24-year-old Vigineswari Pasupathy was given 24 months' probation, ordered to serve 150 hours of community service and put up a S$5,000 bond.

Her elder sister, 26-year-old Rajeswari Pasupathy, who was the mastermind, was sent to jail for 15 months.

At the time of the offences, the siblings were part-time assistant cricket coaches at St Andrew's Secondary School.

In May 2012, they found out that one of the students' parents were away and the 12-year-old boy was staying at home alone.

So the two sisters got their then colleague, cricket coach Jeraj Puvaneshen, to bring the cricket team boys, including the victim, for a run outside the school at about 2pm.

The duo went on to steal more than S$20,000 worth of gold jewellery and other items from the boy's house, using keys stolen from his bag.

They then sold off the stolen jewellery and shared the proceeds.

But in late June that year, Jeraj was questioned by police after collecting stolen camera lenses from Rajeswari. He had planned to sell them.

Jeraj ended up admitting to the police that he was involved in the housebreaking in May. He was given 15 months' jail in May this year.

The two sisters also admitted to breaking into their friend's house and stealing items worth S$13,000.

In sentencing, District Judge Mathew Joseph noted that Vigineswari had been over-reliant on her sister and misplaced her loyalty.

He noted that Rajeswari was more culpable as she had initiated the ploy.

The judge said the siblings committed the offences "with careful pre-meditation and perverse planning".

He added that he found the abuse of their positions as coaches and teachers to be "greatly disturbing".

The sisters could each have been jailed up to 10 years on each count of housebreaking. - CNA/nd

 

[TauChiak]

Indian-origin sisters jailed for 15 months in Singapore

Last Updated : 13 Nov 2013 01:43:28 PM IST

Singapore court jails Indian-origin sisters for housebreaking

Two sisters of Indian origin were sentenced to probation and jail for housebreaking offences by a Singaporean court today.

Vigineswari Pasupathy, 24, was given 24 months' probation, ordered to serve 150 hours of community service, and put up a
SGD 5,000 bond.

Her elder sister, Rajeswari Pasupathy, 26, was jailed for 15 months for masterminding the housebreaking and stealing SGD
20,000 worth of jewellery with stolen keys from a boy student.

The two had represented Singapore in cricket and were working as part-time assistant cricket coaches in a premier school in Singapore.

In May 2012, they found out that one of the students' parents were away, and that the 12-year-old boy was alone at home, according to a report by Channel News Asia.

The sisters got their then colleague, cricket coach Jeraj Puvaneshen, to bring the cricket team boys, including the victim, for a run outside the school in the afternoon while they stole the keys from the boy's bag.

In sentencing, District Judge Mathew Joseph said the siblings committed the offences "with careful pre-meditation and perverse planning".

He added that he found the abuse of their positions as coaches and teachers to be "greatly disturbing".The sisters could each have been jailed up to 10 years on each count of housebreaking.

Jeraj was punished with a 15-month jail sentence in May this year.