Indian national jailed, canned in Singapore for molesting woman

A 46-year-old Indian national and Singapore permanent resident on Monday was sentenced to four years in jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a woman in a nursing room at a shopping mall.

Ankit Sharma was convicted on one charge of aggravated outrage of modesty for molesting a 31-year-old technology specialist recruiter after dragging her into a nursing room at Changi City Point mall on March 1, 2023, Channel News Asia reported.

The victim had met Sharma for the first time that evening after a colleague shared his profile with her.

The meeting began with professional discussions but soon turned uncomfortable as Sharma initiated sexual conversations and asked intrusive personal questions over drinks at a bar, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim told the court.

When the woman excused herself to use the washroom and later returned, Sharma waited outside and pulled her into a nearby nursing room, where he kissed her forcefully, restrained her, and made repeated sexual advances despite her resistance.

Sharma denied the charges, claiming that the woman had consented and suggested going to the nursing room. His defence argued that she voluntarily engaged with him but got upset after he remarked about her bad breath.

Rejecting the defence, the court found Sharma guilty, with the prosecution describing the sexual exploitation as "extremely high" and the intrusion "intense and prolonged".

Sharma faced between two and 10 years of imprisonment and caning for the offence. His lawyer sought a lighter sentence of three to three-and-a-half years with fewer cane strokes, but the court accepted the prosecution's call for at least four years and six strokes.