Indian national Erugula Eswara Reddy, who was in Singapore on a student pass, has been sentenced to four years’ jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a 21-year-old woman. On Friday, January 19, Reddy, 25, pleaded guilty to outraging the modesty of the woman using wrongful restraint.
The victim, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity, was out for dinner and drinks with her friends on Aug 20 in 2022, before heading on her own to an event for exchange students at a restaurant on Turf Club Road.
Pixabay/ Representational Image
After drinking more at the event, she felt unwell and threw up. She then took a seat alone and sent a phone text message to her friend, who was supposed to be at the event, asking him where he was. Both of them shared their live locations using WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, spotting the victim, Reddy stood close by and talked to her, making her uncomfortable. Then she said that she did not need any help and at about 1.40 am, she messaged her friend about Reddy.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) John Lu, the 25-year-old accused then picked up the victim from the chair and left the event. Lu said, “The victim could not see where the accused was taking her, as her back was facing the direction in which they were moving. During this time, the victim asked the accused not to take her and to let her go, but the accused persisted with his actions. The accused also took the victim’s handphone from her.”
Reports stated that Reddy took the British national to a nearby field, placed her on the ground and hovered over her. She told him to stop and stay away but her cries fell on deaf ears.
Reddy also reportedly took her phone away. DPP Lu said, “The victim asked the accused to stop and not to get close to her, but the accused did not listen.”
Later when Reddy agreed to return the victim her mobile phone and she messaged her friend “asking for help as she was being raped”, Reddy soon took away the phone again.
He then kissed her and removed her clothes from the waist down, before touching her private parts. Ignoring her pleas to stop, he then removed his clothes.
The victim’s friend was concerned about the messages that were sent by the victim and went with some friends to search for her based on her last live location. He heard a scream and spotted Reddy and the victim lying face up nearby and weeping at the nearby open field. He and his friends then headed towards them.
As they came forward, Reddy, who was nude, moved away from the weeping victim. The friend also called the police at around 2am and Reddy was arrested soon after.
During the court hearing, DPP Lu urged the court to sentence Reddy to four years’ jail and six strokes of the cane, adding: “During his interaction with the victim, the accused must have noticed that the victim was drunk, alone and vulnerable, which is why the accused chose to take advantage of her.”
For committing the offence, Reddy could have been jailed for between two and 10 years, and caned.
