Singapore court upholds Indian-origin man’s 16-month jail term for prostitution-related offences

Singapore, August 26

Singapore High Court has upheld an Indian-origin permanent resident’s 16-month jail term and a fine of over USD 8,100 for prostitution-related offences.

Arumaikannu Sasikumar, 46, and his Singaporean partner Rajendran Nagarethinam, 60, were last year found guilty of several prostitution-related offences and for obstructing the course of justice at their Kollywood club.

On Wednesday, the High Court acquitted Rajendran of one charge and reduced his sentence in two other charges. His sentence was cut from 30 months’ imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 Singapore dollars (USD 2,218) to 19 months’ jail and a 2,500-dollar (USD 1,848) fine.

The High Court upheld Arumaikannu’s 16-month jail term and a fine of 11,000 dollars (USD 8,133) for prostitution-related offences.

Two Bangladeshi women in their mid-20s, who arrived in Singapore in 2015 and 2016, were forced into prostitution, The Straits Times reported.

On separate occasions, Rajendran or Arumaikannu, assisted by a Bangladeshi man named Roky, asked the two women to provide sexual services to customers, it said.

One of the Bangladeshi women reluctantly agreed for prostitution as she was worried over salary. Each customer paid her 500 dollars (USD 369) which she passed on to Arumaikannu, it said.

When the other Bangladeshi woman refused for prostitution, Arumaikannu slapped her, the report said.

In February 2016, the two Bangladeshi women, along with two others who worked at the club, fled, the report said, adding that they reported to the Manpower Ministry that they had not been paid their salaries and were made to go out with customers. PTI