Two Indian nationals were each jailed for 18 weeks on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the amended charge of failing to disperse despite being lawfully commanded to do so during the Little India riot on Dec 8 last year.

Thangaiya Selvakumar, 25, and Thiagarajan Sribalamurugan, 23, had originally faced rioting charges, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and caning, as compared to two years and/or a fine for disobeying dispersal commands. Their sentences will be backdated to the date of their arrests on Dec 8.

The pair are the fourth and fifth men among 25 charged in relation to the riot to plead guilty. Three others before Thangaiya and Thiagarajan had earlier in February been sentenced to serve between 15 and 18 weeks in jail under the same amended charge.

Cases against 20 others are pending in court.