Singapore court jails, fines Indian national for molesting Vietnamese woman

Singapore, April 1

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, according to a media report.

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.

Eventually, he molested the 21-year-old victim outside a women's toilet she had just cleaned, Today Online newspaper reported.

Ezhilan 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, the report said.

His employment pass was terminated after the Vietnamese woman reported the incident to his supervisors.

The company conducted an internal investigation and transferred her to another workplace, according to the report.

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.

For molestation, he could have been jailed for up to two years or fined or caned, or received any combination of the three.

For possessing obscene films, he could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to Singapore dollars 20,000, or punished with both. — PTI