SINGAPORE - A man was jailed for five months on Monday (July 6) for molesting a 20-year-old student in a lift after having followed her to her block of flats from the bus they were in.
Gulcharan Singh, 51, a former gardener, pleaded guilty to grabbing the woman's buttocks at 12.11am in a Housing Board lift on Nov 25, 2014.
The court heard that she was on her way home in the bus late on Nov 24 when Gulcharan boarded it. When she alighted he did, too, and appeared at the lift landing where she was waiting.
They got into the lift and, when it reached one of the upper floors, Gulcharan, who reeked of alcohol, suddenly grabbed her buttocks and squeezed it.
He then got out, stood at the entrance of the lift and gestured to her to follow him .
She was very scared and told him: "No. Go away.''
He moved away from the lift door and she quickly pressed for the door to close.
She told her family members what happened and made a police police report the same day.
Gulcharan was arrested two days later. He told police that he had followed her as he had wanted to get to know her. He also said he had drunk five cans of beer before the incident.
Another molestation charge was taken into consideration during his sentencing.
Gulcharan, who was unrepresented, said in mitigation that he regretted what he did because he was very drunk then, but added that it was no excuse.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.
