Two Indian Men Sentenced To Prison And Caning For Singapore Hotel Robberies

Two Indian men accused of robbing and assaulting two sex workers in hotel rooms while on holiday in Singapore have been sentenced to five years and one month in prison, along with 12 strokes of the cane, PTI reported on Friday.

Arokkiyasami Daison, 23, and Rajendran Mayilarasan, 27, had pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery, according to The Straits Times.

The court heard that the men arrived in Singapore from India on April 24 for a vacation. Two days later, while walking in the Little India area, an unknown man approached them and offered to arrange sexual services, providing them with contact details for two women before leaving.

Arokkiyasami suggested to Rajendran that they rob the women, citing financial difficulties, and Rajendran agreed. The pair arranged to meet one woman in a hotel room at around 6 pm on April 26. Inside the room, they tied the victim’s hands and legs with clothing, slapped her, and stole jewellery, SGD 2,000 in cash, her passport, and bank cards.

Later that night, at around 11 pm, they met the second woman in another hotel room. They dragged her inside, restrained her, and stole SGD 800 in cash, two mobile phones, and her passport, threatening her not to leave until they returned, PTI reported.

The robbery came to light when the second victim confided in another man the following day, prompting the police to investigate.

During mitigation, both men, who were unrepresented, appealed for leniency. Arokkiyasami stated, through an interpreter, that he had three sisters and had lost his father the previous year, leaving the family financially strained. Rajendran said his wife and child were alone in India and facing financial difficulties.

Under Singapore law, those who voluntarily cause injury during a robbery can face five to 20 years in prison and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)