Singapore: Indian man gets 16-year jail time for raping student
A Singapore court has reportedly sentenced a 26-year-old Indian national to 16 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane for raping a university student on May 4, 2019. As per TODAY, the case took nearly four years to get to court due to the convict's mental condition, which required several rounds of psychiatric evaluation.
Accused stalked the victim before assaulting her
Identified as Chinnaiah Karthik, the accused stalked the victim as she walked to a bus stop late at night after he pointed her in the wrong direction. He then punched her, dragged her into a forested area, and raped her. The victim student was injured so severely that her then-boyfriend allegedly failed to recognize her while visiting her at the hospital the next day.
Prosecutor narrates bone-chilling details of incident
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kayal Pillay told the court that the victim tried to pull Karthik's hand away from her throat during the sexual assault as she was unable to breathe. However, he responded by tightening his grip, causing her to gasp even more. Karthik also threatened her to keep quiet because no one could hear her.
Victim underwent sexual assault examination after incident: DPP
The victim managed to locate her mobile after Karthik walked away and called her then-boyfriend, Pillay said. After the police were notified about the incident, they arrived and took the victim student to a hospital for a sexual assault examination. Tests showed the woman had sustained numerous scrapes, scratches, and bruises, including strangulation marks over the neck area.
Here's how police identified and arrested convict
After an extensive probe, the police managed to track down the convict and arrested him on May 5, 2019. Cops reportedly used Land Transport Authority and police camera footage to identify Karthik. The footage showed him hiding behind a tree to avoid detection as he followed her for nearly 15 minutes before they both disappeared from sight.
Convict took measures to avoid detection
While claiming that the attack was not spur of the moment, DPP Yvonne Poon alleged that Karthik had numerous interactions with the woman and had intentionally led her away from her last probable route to safety. Moreover, the DPP told the court that the man had taken serious measures to avoid detection and made his presence less apparent while following the victim.
