Bus passenger who told woman 'I want to see you naked' gets 10 weeks' jail

Philip Sudhan Dhanaraj was given a 10-week jail sentence for insulting the modesty of a woman and using abusive words on a bus driver. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - A man who told a fellow commuter that he wanted to see her naked and abused a bus driver was given 10 weeks' jail on Thursday.

Philip Sudhan Dhanaraj, 51, admitted insulting the modesty of the 31-year-old woman, using abusive words towards bus driver Narenthiran Arumugan, 29, and stealing two bottles of alcohol from 7-Eleven Shell petrol station at Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

A court heard that while SMRT bus service NR 7 was travelling along Sims Avenue on Oct 31 last year, Dhanaraj approached the woman and asked about her personal life and whether she had a boyfriend. She was talking on the phone and ignored him.

When she noticed Dhanaraj manoeuvring around his seat and bending forward in a bid to peep underneath her skirt, she immediately used her bag to cover her thigh area.

He uttered the words "I want to see you naked" and called her a "b****".

She alerted the driver who called the police.

While waiting for officers to arrive, Dhanaraj demanded that Mr Narenthiran open the front door but he ignored him.

Dhanaraj got angry and uttered abusive words at the driver. He also shouted at other bus passengers.

On Oct 22, he stole two bottles of a cocktail drink from the 7-Eleven at Shell station.

Police found Dhanaraj at the void deck of Block 189, Toa Payoh North, with an empty bottle next to him. He admitted the theft.

He was released from prison as the court had backdated his sentence to his remand on Dec 7 last year.

He could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined for insulting modesty; fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months for using abusive words; and jailed for up to seven years and fined for theft in dwelling.

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