Indian national jailed, caned in Singapore for molesting a woman at mall
Singapore: An Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, Ankit Sharma, 46, has been sentenced to four years in prison and six strokes of the cane for molesting a woman inside a nursing room at Changi City Point mall.
Sharma was convicted of aggravated outrage of modesty for the March 1, 2023 incident. According to a PTI report, the incident involved a 31-year-old technology specialist recruiter. Court records showed the two had met earlier that evening for the first time after a colleague introduced them. During drinks at a bar, Sharma allegedly steered the conversation into sexual territory. He asked intrusive personal questions, as told by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim in the court.
When the woman returned from the washroom, Sharma dragged her into a nearby nursing room, kissed her forcibly, restrained her, and continued making advances despite her resistance. Prosecutors described the act as “intense and prolonged” and said the level of sexual exploitation was “extremely high.”
Sharma denied wrongdoing, claiming the woman had consented and had suggested entering the nursing room. His defence argued she later fabricated the allegations after he made an unkind remark. The court rejected this version and found him guilty.
The charge carried a penalty of two to ten years in jail and caning. While his lawyer sought a reduced sentence of three to three-and-a-half years with fewer strokes, the court accepted the prosecution’s recommendation of at least four years and six strokes.
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Delhi's maximum temperature settles at 41.9 deg C
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 41.9 degree Celsius, 1.5 notches above the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The minimum temperature settled at 25.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning, 0.6 notches below the seasonal average, the IMD stated.
The weather department predicted strong surface wind during the Monday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperature expected to hover around 44 degrees Celsius and 26 degree Celsius, respectively.
Relative humidity was recorded at 28 per cent at 5.30 pm.
The air quality was recorded in the 'moderate' category at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 174, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
