Indian-origin senior citizen in Singapore lies on vaccination status to enter bar; jailed

Singapore, April 28

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An Indian-origin senior citizen in Singapore has been jailed for five days for lying about his vaccination status to gain entry into a bar amidst the covid-19 outbreak last year, according to a media report.

Utheyakumar Nallathamby, 65, had impersonated Indian-origin Malaysian Kiran Singh Rughbir Singh, 37, to enter the bar, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Utheyakumar admitted to cheating by using the TraceTogether app, which displays the vaccination status and was compulsory for getting into the bar.

Singh told the court that he and his girlfriend met Utheyakumar on September 9 last year and went to the island resort Sentosa for drinks and decided to go to the Bikini Bar.

However, an assistant manager of the bar did not allow Utheyakumar as he was unvaccinated.

Singh suggested that Utheyakumar enter the bar using Singh’s TraceTogether application and vaccination status, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shen Wanqin said.

Utheyakumar agreed to Singh’s suggestions and went to another bar with the woman while Singh waited outside.

As Utheyakumar was consuming drinks, the assistant manager of the Bikini Bar spotted him at the nearby bar and recalled denying him entry at her workplace as he was unvaccinated.

Acting on her tip-off, employees approached Utheyakumar and found that he was impersonating Singh. Immediately, the matter was reported to a duty manager of the Sentosa Development Corporation.

Singh, who had allowed Utheyakumar to pose as him, was also given a five days’ jail term in February after he pleaded guilty to a similar charge.

For cheating by personation, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined.