Award winner rescued woman trapped in toilet with male stranger

Mr Reshi Kumar Thenarasu was at a food centre in West Coast when a man asked him for help, saying his wife was trapped in a handicapped toilet with a male stranger.

The 23-year-old sprang to action, climbing over a 2m-high wall to get inside the toilet and unlocking the door, as he warned the stranger to stay away from the woman.

When the police arrived, the man tried to make a run for it but was detained with the help of Mr Reshi. The man was then arrested for outrage of modesty.

Mr Reshi, who is unemployed, was presented with the Public Spiritedness Award yesterday for his actions on Nov 11 last year.

Assistant Commissioner Jarrod Pereira, commander of the Clementi Police Division, said when presenting the award: "Mr Reshi had displayed a strong sense of civic-mindedness and courage, and his actions have made the community a safer place for all."

Meanwhile, five organisations were awarded the Community Partnership Award at the same ceremony yesterday at the Clementi Police Division.

The police said that ComfortDelGro, Singapore Polytechnic, Queenstown Active Ageing Committee, Ulu Pandan Active Ageing Committee and Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa collaborated closely with the division to develop and implement crime-prevention initiatives.

AC Pereira said: "We value the strong collaboration between the police and community partners in our crime-fighting efforts. They are the reason why Singapore is one of the safest places in the world."