Indian-origin man jailed for racial remarks at Singapore cafe
A Singapore court has sentenced a 27-year-old Indian-origin man to four weeks in jail and fined him SGD 4,000. Rishi David Ramesh Nandwani pleaded guilty to charges of using insulting words and committing a rash act that endangered safety. The incident occurred on October 31 at a crowded cafe in Holland Village, Singapore, where Nandwani mistakenly thought he was in the right queue to place an order.
Nandwani's outburst and subsequent arrest
When the cashier told him he was at the wrong end of the queue and asked him to wait his turn, Nandwani got upset. He went on a two-minute tirade which included racial slurs against Chinese people and vulgarities. He also said he was "sick of this country" during his rant. The cashier was disturbed by his behavior and stepped away to let her superior handle it.
Nandwani's actions escalate, leading to police intervention
Undeterred by the supervisor's intervention, Nandwani continued his outburst and threw a tip box at the cashier, hitting her lower back. He later returned to throw two serving trays, which missed their target. Videos of the incident showed customers watching silently as he shouted. Approximately an hour after the victim called the police to report a "raging" customer, Nandwani was arrested.
Court acknowledges public disquiet caused by Nandwani's actions
During sentencing, District Judge Janet Wang said Nandwani's actions had caused public disquiet. She stressed the law's role in protecting service staff from abuse. The court also watched videos of his tirade and his throwing the tip box at the cashier. The videos showed many customers standing in silence as he shouted, further emphasizing the impact of his actions on those present at the cafe during the incident.
