SINGAPORE - A police report has been made against lawyer M Ravi after he allegedly assaulted fellow lawyer Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss outside her office at The Adelphi on Tuesday (Aug 8).
Mrs Chong-Aruldoss, 54, said she was walking to her office at Eugene Thuraisingam LLP at about 11am yesterday, when Mr Ravi, a non-practising human rights lawyer, allegedly accosted her with "three big-sized thugs" and pushed her to the ground.
A staff member from the law firm called the police after the incident. The police confirmed that a report was made and they are investigating the incident.
Mr Ravi was formerly head of the knowledge management at Eugene Thuraisingam LLP, but was fired in June. He tried to enter the firm's People's Park Centre branch office after that and was charged with criminal trespass.
Describing the Tuesday's(Aug8) incident, Mrs Chong-Aruldoss, an opposition politician, told The Straits Times that he was "ranting incoherently" at her while one of his companions video-taped the incident on a mobile phone.
He told her the video was being broadcast on Facebook Live, and she turned to walk away as she was not comfortable with that, she said.
That is when Mr Ravi shoved her on her shoulders causing her to stagger backwards and fall, she added.
"It was a violent push. Lucky I had the presence of mind to break my fall with my elbow. I was so shocked I was lying on the floor," said Mrs Chong-Aruldoss, adding that she does not know why her one-time friend pushed her as she "did not have any outstanding issues with him".
She said she also dropped three bags she was carrying when she fell, and Mr Ravi had picked up her things and thrown them at her.
"I remember him declaring that I had touched him, which caused him to push me - that part hurts the most. It's as if he (is saying he) had to push me to defend himself," said Mrs Chong-Aruldoss, who also wrote about the incident on Facebook.
She added that the commotion attracted people who came to her aid, including a fellow partner at her law firm, Mr Nakoorsha A. K..
"I was genuinely afraid he was going to assault her, so I tried to stand between her and Ravi and told him as calmly as I could, to leave," said Mr Nakoorsha.
"It is quite shocking, because up till today (Ravi) has never laid hands on anyone, not me, or any of my staff."
When contacted, Mr Ravi said he had gone to his former office to serve them a legal letter.
He claimed that Mrs Chong-Aruldoss had pushed him first, before falling down herself.
He added that the incident was captured on video and said: "I will be releasing the video after National Day."
