Four men charged over separate cases of molestation
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Elena Chong
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SINGAPORE - Four men were charged in court on Friday (Dec 1) over separate cases of outrage of modesty committed between September 2016 and June 2017.
They face between one and five charges each.
Kelvin Duke Jayakumar @ Jayakumar Moghan, 33, who faces five charges, allegedly molested a 22-year-old woman twice at Naughty Girl Club at 6.20am on Sept 8, 2016.
While he was outside the club at Orchard Towers, he allegedly used threatening words towards a senior police officer and a police sergeant.
The fifth charge says that he was inside a police vehicle travelling to Tanglin Police Division at 7.20am when he abused a police officer.
He will return to court on Dec 15.
In another case, Gary Tan Kum Weng, 49, is accused of touching the buttocks of a 34-year-old woman at Plaza Singapura on Dec 10 last year. He also faces a mischief charge.
He intends to plead guilty and his case will be mentioned on Dec 22.
In the same court, Marcus Ong Yong Qiang, 26, is alleged to have stroked the thigh of a 21-year-old woman at F club in Clarke Quay at about 1am on Feb 5.
He is also accused of using criminal force on a 21-year-old man by taking his cap off and rubbing his head that day.
His case will be mentioned on Dec 21.
In the last case, Indian national Karunanithi Vijayabharathiraja, 35, denied using his elbow to rub a 14-year-old girl's chest on board a Circle Line MRT train between Serangoon and Marymount stations on June 29.
Bail of $5,000 was offered. His case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on Dec 11.
The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail, fine and caning.
Offenders convicted of an offence under the Protection of Harassment Act can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months.
Anyone convicted of using criminal force shall be punished with up to three months' jail, a fine of up to $1,500 or both; and for mischief, up to one year's jail and/or fined.
In a statement, the Singapore Police Force said it takes a serious view against people who obstruct police officers from carrying out their duties or cause them harm.
"Police have zero tolerance towards such acts of violence towards police officers or public servants carrying out their duties, and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law and harm police officers," it added.
