Singapore court sentences Indian yoga teacher for molesting three women

Singapore, August 30

A former Indian national yoga instructor was on Friday sentenced to 23 months in prison and four strokes of the cane for molesting three women while conducting classes with them.

Rajpal Singh, 35, who worked at Trust Yoga in Telok Ayer Street at the time of the offences, no longer conducts lessons there.

All three victims were members of the classes when he molested them.

Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said Singh had abused the trust placed in him by the three women, whom she referred to as Ms C, Ms V and Ms R, according to a report by The Straits Times newspaper.

The judge also said the trio had suffered emotional and psychological harm.

The judge said Ms C has been receiving therapy from a counsellor, adding: “(She) testified that she had regarded yoga classes as ‘a safe space’ and had not expected to have been violated during a yoga class by a teacher who was in a position of authority in the room.”

The judge added that Ms V had testified that she remains “very affected” by her ordeal and described it as a “very traumatic experience”.

After a 13-day trial, the judge convicted Singh on May 16 of five molestation charges involving the three women. She had found that the trio were “unusually convincing” witnesses.

Singh was acquitted of three other molestation charges involving a fourth woman, Ms Y.

Singh had denied molesting the women.

Defence lawyer Anil Murkoth Changaroth said his client would appeal against his conviction and sentence. His bail was set at SGD 50,000 (USD 38,374.02).

Singh still has two pending molestation charges and his pre-trial conference involving them will be held on September 16, according to a Singapore daily report.