- Joined
- Oct 26, 2008
- Messages
- 923
- Points
- 0
A construction worker -- the first of 25 men accused of taking part in the Little India riot last December to plead guilty -- was jailed 15 weeks by a district court on Monday.
Police cars flipped to their sides remain on the street off Little India after a riot broke out. (AFP/ Roslan Rahman)
SINGAPORE: A construction worker -- the first of 25 men accused of taking part in the Little India riot last December to plead guilty -- was jailed 15 weeks by a district court on Monday.
Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi, 32, had pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failing to disperse, under Section 151 of the penal code. He was initially charged with rioting.
It is believed to be the first time that Section 151 has been invoked in Singapore.
The charge was amended after the Attorney-General's Chambers considered factors that included the extent of the accused's involvement in the riot.
At around 11pm on December 8, Chinnappa and a friend went to a food court called Kodai Canteen, which is located at the junction of Kerbau Road and Chander Road. This was after they had drunk some beer.
As the pair were walking along Chander Road -- near where the riot first broke out -- they saw people running away from the direction of the Kodai Canteen. They also heard from some of those people that police had advised them not to head in the direction of Kodai Canteen, and to leave the area completely.
Chinnappa and his friend ignored this and continued walking towards the canteen, despite seeing officers from the Special Operations Command along Chander Road who were asking people there to disperse.
When Chinnappa and his friend got to Kodai Canteen, they joined an assembly of about 10 people.
Chinnappa and his friend also shouted at canteen employees, asking that they re-open the shop, which further heightened tensions.
Chinnappa could have been jailed up to two years and fined.
- CNA/ac
Police cars flipped to their sides remain on the street off Little India after a riot broke out. (AFP/ Roslan Rahman)
SINGAPORE: A construction worker -- the first of 25 men accused of taking part in the Little India riot last December to plead guilty -- was jailed 15 weeks by a district court on Monday.
Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi, 32, had pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failing to disperse, under Section 151 of the penal code. He was initially charged with rioting.
It is believed to be the first time that Section 151 has been invoked in Singapore.
The charge was amended after the Attorney-General's Chambers considered factors that included the extent of the accused's involvement in the riot.
At around 11pm on December 8, Chinnappa and a friend went to a food court called Kodai Canteen, which is located at the junction of Kerbau Road and Chander Road. This was after they had drunk some beer.
As the pair were walking along Chander Road -- near where the riot first broke out -- they saw people running away from the direction of the Kodai Canteen. They also heard from some of those people that police had advised them not to head in the direction of Kodai Canteen, and to leave the area completely.
Chinnappa and his friend ignored this and continued walking towards the canteen, despite seeing officers from the Special Operations Command along Chander Road who were asking people there to disperse.
When Chinnappa and his friend got to Kodai Canteen, they joined an assembly of about 10 people.
Chinnappa and his friend also shouted at canteen employees, asking that they re-open the shop, which further heightened tensions.
Chinnappa could have been jailed up to two years and fined.
- CNA/ac
Last edited:
