Indian origin singer fined for molesting production crew member in Singapore: Report
Singapore, Feb 6: A 42-year-old Indian-origin singer was fined 3,000 Singaporean dollars for molesting a female freelance production crew member after a show at the Mediacorp Campus in Singapore, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Two other charges, including one more molestation charge, were considered during the sentencing of Sivabalan Siva Prasad Menon, who had consumed up to 15 cups of whisky before molesting the female in 2022, The Straits Times reported.
The woman cannot be named due to a gag order and details about the show were not disclosed in court documents.
The report had also not disclose the exact date when the crime took place to protect the victim's identity.
During the court hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo said that Sivabalan had up to 15 cups of whisky and became intoxicated on the day of the crime.
After the show ended at 12.20 am, the victim and a male friend waited for a lift in basement 1 of the campus.
"The lift doors opened and the accused walked out of the lift. When he saw the victim, he walked towards her, grabbed her by the jaw and kissed her once on her right cheek as the victim tried to pull away," said the law officer.
The victim told Sivabalan that she did not like being treated in such a manner. Her friend then stood between them and told Sivabalan to leave.
The victim and her friend walked away before they called for the next lift.
The two also noticed that Sivabalan, who left the vicinity soon after, reeked of alcohol.
They went to a room for production crew members, where the victim cried and hyperventilated because she felt stressed by the incident, said DPP Teo.
The victim alerted the police later that day.
For molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
