Singapore, Little India area: Two Indian youths who travelled to Singapore have been booked in a legal case. They invited individuals to a hotel room using phone numbers provided by another person. The police arrested them on charges of assault and theft of valuables and cash. The case was heard in a Singapore court, which handed down the sentences. One of the youths was sentenced to five years in prison and 12 lashes.
According to media reports, the accused have been identified as 23-year-old Arokyasamy Dyson and 27-year-old Rajendran Mayilarasan. They had travelled to Singapore on April 24 last year for a vacation.
Two days later, while walking in the Little India area, an unknown person approached them and asked if they wanted to spend time with visitors. He shared a phone number and left. Needing money, the duo planned to rob the visitors. They contacted a person through the provided phone number and brought them to a hotel at 6 p.m. the same day. Upon entering the room, the individual was restrained and assaulted. The victim was then robbed of jewellery, $2,000 in cash, a passport, and bank cards. The restraints were removed afterwards, and the victims were left.
At 11 p.m. that same day, a similar incident occurred with another visitor. Jewellery and 800 Singapore dollars were taken. The victim was restrained and instructed not to leave the room. The second victim reported the matter to someone she knew, who filed a complaint with the police. A case was registered, and the two accused were detained.
The Singapore court delivered the verdict on Friday. Arokyasamy and Rajendran were convicted and sentenced to five years in prison and 12 cane strokes. In the past, there have been cases where Indians were arrested and sentenced for legal violations, including a case where an Indian man was executed in a drug smuggling case.
During the hearing, the accused asked the judge to reduce their sentence. Speaking on the occasion, Arokyasamy said: "My father passed away last year. We are four brothers, one of whom is married. We had to do this due to financial difficulties." Rajendran added that his wife and son were struggling and facing financial hardships.
