Indian-origin woman jailed for attacking public servant in Singapore

PTI

Singapore, August 26

A 58-year-old Indian-origin woman has been jailed in Singapore for attacking a government official who went to her home after her son failed to report for the mandatory national service required for male youths in the country.

K Santhi Krishnasamy had been convicted after a trial over a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, and another of using criminal force on a public servant.

She attacked a Central Manpower Base (CMPB) enlistment inspector who went to her home after her son failed to report for National Service.

She was jailed for 18 weeks on Friday.

She repeatedly interrupted District Judge Christopher Goh as he was delivering the reasons for the sentence, causing him to raise his voice on several occasions, according to a report by The Straits Times newspaper.

The judge began by saying he agreed with the prosecution that where offences are committed against public servants, general deterrence is the overriding consideration. He also highlighted Santhi's persistent aggressive behaviour, which was evident from body-worn camera footage.

It showed that the victim was grabbed or pulled several times during the incident and that Santhi continued her offending actions despite numerous warnings to stop.

The judge also highlighted Santhi's lack of remorse.

He said she never once sought to explain her actions that day or apologise to the enlistment inspectors, and instead continued to assert that her son was not fit for NS and that she had not caused hurt to the inspectors.

The judge later granted Santhi a deferment on her sentence to consider if she wanted to appeal against her sentence. He called her husband forward from the gallery, to explain to him what this meant, as he is her bailor.

According to the State Courts' records, Santhi has appealed against her sentence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng said that Santhi's son, Kavinsarang Shin, had failed to turn up for enlistment at the Basic Military Training Centre in Pulau (island) Tekong on the morning of April 23, 2021.

The mother claimed she still had not received the information that she requested from the Ministry of Defence about her son's enlistment. The son has since completed his NS, according to the broadsheet report.

Mandatory NS for male youths to serve in the armed forces in Singapore was introduced under a 1967 law. 

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