Singapore court jails, fines Indian national for molesting Vietnamese woman
What's the story
An Indian national was sentenced by a Singapore court to four weeks in prison and fined Singapore dollars 8,000 for molesting a Vietnamese woman who worked at his office. Dhandhayutham Ezhilan, 48, began taking a personal interest in the woman who worked as a cleaner in the office and would leave food in her locker and send her numerous text messages.
Action taken
Ezhilan's employment pass had been terminated earlier
Ezhilan molested the 21-year-old victim outside a women's toilet she had just cleaned. He pleaded guilty to one charge each of molestation and possessing obscene videos on his mobile phone. He was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal for a second outrage of modesty charge. Ezhilan's employment pass was terminated after the Vietnamese woman reported the incident to his supervisors.
Information
50 obscene films were found on his phone
The company conducted an internal investigation and transferred her to another workplace. She lodged a police report on August 21 last year and Ezhilan was arrested later that evening. The authorities found 50 obscene films on his phone.
Punishment
Ezhilan got away with a relatively less punishment
In Singapore, for molestation, Ezhilan could have been jailed for up to two years or fined or caned or received any combination of the three. For possessing obscene films on his mobile phone without permission, he could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to Singapore dollars 20,000, or punished with both.
Indian diaspora
Recent cases where Indians were charged for crimes in Singapore
Recently, a 52-year-old Indian-origin man was sentenced to two weeks' jail for attempting to promote racial enmity in Singapore by claiming that the ruling People's Action Party wanted to marginalize Malays. In another case, an Indian priest in Singapore was charged with committing a criminal breach of trust by pawning ceremonial jewelry worth around two million Singapore dollars from the country's oldest Hindu temple.