Two Indian nationals on holiday in Singapore have been sentenced to five years and one month in prison each, along with 12 strokes of the cane, for robbing and assaulting two sex workers in separate incidents at local hotels.
The convicted men, identified as Arokkiyasami Daison (23) and Rajendran Mayilarasan (27), pleaded guilty to charges of voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery, The Straits Times reported.
The Incidents
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April 24, 2025: The duo arrived in Singapore from India for a vacation.
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April 26: While walking in Little India, an unknown man approached them and offered contacts of women providing sexual services.
That evening, the men arranged a meeting with one of the women at a hotel. Once inside, they tied her hands and legs with clothing, slapped her, and robbed her of:
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Jewellery
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SGD 2,000 (approx. Rs 1.2 lakh) in cash
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Her passport and bank cards
Later that night, they targeted a second woman at another hotel. They forcibly dragged her inside, gagged her to prevent screams, and stole:
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SGD 800 (approx. Rs 48,000) in cash
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Two mobile phones
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Her passport
The victim was threatened not to leave until they returned.
The crimes came to light when the second woman confided in another man the following day, who alerted the police.
Court Proceedings
During sentencing, both men pleaded for leniency.
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Arokkiyasami told the court, through an interpreter, that he resorted to crime due to financial struggles after his father’s death, adding that he had three sisters to support.
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Rajendran said his wife and child in India were suffering financially.
Under Singapore law, those convicted of robbery with voluntary injury face between 5 and 20 years in prison, in addition to a mandatory minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.
