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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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
