Orchard Towers partygoers plead guilty to intimidating anti-smoking enforcement officers
SINGAPORE — For two friends, a night of drinking and partying at Orchard Towers ended in a confrontation with enforcement officers, after they decided to take a smoke break outside a club.
Kiranpal Singh, 32, and Harrymeet Singh, 31, both pleaded guilty on Tuesday (April 2) to attempting to intimidate two enforcement officers who were carrying out their duties.
Kiranpal Singh pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force on an officer and a second charge of obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties.
Harrymeet Singh admitted to one charge of using abusive and threatening words on a public servant.
The court heard that both men were at the Naughty Girl club in Orchard Towers in the early hours of April 1 last year.
At about 7.30am, the duo decided to step out of the club to smoke at a staircase landing. Twenty minutes later, they were approached by two enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Certis Cisco Security.
As Harrymeet Singh was still smoking, Mr Yap Kwai Chung, the NEA officer, approached him and identified himself.
He told Harrymeet Singh that he was not supposed to smoke in the building and asked for his particulars.
Harrymeet Singh ignored him and tried to return to the club, but was denied entry by the bouncer after the officers told him about what had transpired.
At this point, Harrymeet Singh’s friend, Mr Harish Kumar, and Kiranpal Singh’s fiancee arrived at the scene to find out what was happening.
Kiranpal Singh then told Harrymeet Singh to ignore the officers and pulled him away, but the enforcement officers followed them.
Mr Yap then instructed his partner, Mr Khor Jia Min, to inform the police of the men’s uncooperative behaviour.
Harrymeet Singh was eventually stopped by the enforcement officers around Claymore Road. Harish began questioning Mr Yap about which division he was from, while Kiranpal Singh pulled Harrymeet Singh away from the officers.
Mr Khor warned Kiranpal Singh not to do that again, but the latter responded by using his chest to push the officer.
“What are you going to do? You don’t threaten me,” Kiranpal Singh was heard to have said.
He pushed Mr Khor backwards with his chest again while repeatedly shouting the same words.
Despite being told to calm down by Mr Yap, Kiranpal Singh insisted that Mr Khor had threatened him.
Kiranpal Singh then pulled Harrymeet Singh away again, exclaiming that he was a “big four auditor” and told Mr Khor to “get a job”.
A crowd then started to gather around the pair as they tried to escape the officers.
At one point, Harrymeet Singh began hurling obscenities at Mr Yap and even threatened to kill him.
Harish began recording a video of Mr Yap at this point and directed a derogatory remark at Mr Khor.
Kiranpal Singh and Harrymeet Singh continued arguing with the enforcement officers even after the police arrived.
Kiranpal Singh could be jailed up to three months and/or fined up to S$1,500 for using criminal force on the NEA officer. For preventing an officer from doing his duty, he could be jailed three months and/or fined up to S$2,500.
For using insulting and threatening words on a public servant, Harrymeet Singh could be fined up to S$5,000 and/or jailed up to a year.
Harish was fined S$2,500 for harassing the officers.
Kiranpal Singh and Harrymeet Singh will return to court on April 8 for sentencing.
