Man who rioted outside Sikh temple gets jail, caning
Yadwinder Singh, 26, was sentenced to five years and five months’ jail, with 12 strokes of the cane, for various offences including rioting. Another jail term lasting 129 days was imposed because he had offended while on remission.
SINGAPORE — While he was out on police bail for an earlier offence of extortion, an Indian national led a group of more than 20 people in a riot outside a Sikh temple, swinging belts and wooden planks at an opposing group.
The ensuing fracas — which caused traffic disruption — led to many members suffering injuries such as cuts and fractures.
The man, 26-year-old Yadwinder Singh, was on Friday (March 22) sentenced to five years and five months’ jail, with 12 strokes of the cane.
Another 129-day jail term was imposed by District Judge Marvin Bay because Singh offended while on remission.
He pleaded guilty to one count each of extortion with common intention, rioting, as well as attempting to leave Singapore illegally.
The court heard that Singh, who used to work in the construction industry, is no stranger to brushes with the law.
FEB 24, 2017: EXTORTION
Court documents revealed that he committed earlier offences of rioting and illegal assembly in 2015 and 2016 and was jailed.
He was released early and placed on a remission order on Jan 21, 2017.
Just over a month later, he committed another offence, this time teaming up with four other people to target foreign nationals living in Housing and Development Board flats.
The group extorted S$200 from one Brar Simadeep Kaur, who was living in a unit with five other tenants.
Singh was arrested and placed on police bail.
APRIL 2, 2017: RIOTING
Less than two months later, Singh and a group of more than 20 people finished their prayers at the Silat Road Sikh Temple and were gathered at the bus stop outside the temple around lunchtime.
Some of them were armed with wooden planks.
Members of an opposing group, who were also at the temple at prayers, then left the temple grounds.
Singh’s group gave chase and hurled vulgarities at them before assaulting them. Both groups then began fighting along Kampong Bahru Road, armed with wooden poles, belts and wooden planks.
Singh himself hit at least two members of the opposing group.
The brawl — which left many injured — occurred in full view of the public and caused disruption to traffic, prosecutors said.
Court documents did not state why the riot took place.
OCT 14, 2018: ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE SINGAPORE ILLEGALLY
Singh was arrested for rioting, and claimed trial to the offence.
The first tranche of the trial lasted from Oct 8 to 12 last year. Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) Jason Chua and Andre Chong said that two weeks before the trial was to start, Singh “grew increasingly worried about the prospect of being convicted and sentenced, and began to look for a way to leave Singapore illegally”.
But Singh’s passport had been impounded by the authorities, so he got in touch with an acquaintance, who linked him up with another man to arrange an illegal getaway.
Two days after the first tranche of trial was concluded, Singh boarded a bus at Golden Mile Complex. The driver of the bus, one Noor Hairol Hisham Jamaludin, had been instructed to smuggle Singh out of the country.
Hairol told Singh to hide in the right cargo bay of the bus, and to “control his breathing by taking short breaths, so as to avoid detection”.
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers searched the bus at Tuas Checkpoint and discovered Singh hiding in the cargo bay. Both he and Hairol were then arrested.
‘PERSISTENT PATTERN OF CRIMINALITY’
The prosecution urged the court to impose a sentence of at least five years and 10 months’ jail, with 12 strokes of the cane, arguing that Singh’s time in Singapore “has been marked by a persistent pattern of criminality and disregard for the law”.
DPP Chua said that Singh played a significant role in the riot outside the temple — he had armed himself a wooden plank and inflicted hurt on at least two people. It was also not his first rioting-related offence.
For rioting, Singh could have been jailed up to 10 years, with caning.
