Singapore Court Holds Ramalingam Selvasekaran Accountable

An Indian national, Ramalingam Selvasekaran, was sentenced to over 14 years in jail in Singapore for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. Despite maintaining his innocence and appealing the conviction, the court found him guilty of multiple charges. The sentencing included time in lieu of corporal punishment due to his age.

In a significant ruling, the Singapore High Court sentenced Indian national Ramalingam Selvasekaran, 58, to over 14 years in prison on Thursday for the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl. Despite his age shielding him from corporal punishment, additional jail time was imposed to compensate for the omission, as reported by The Straits Times.

Ramalingam represented himself during the trial and remains resolute in his innocence, evident from his intention to appeal the conviction. He was found guilty on July 7 of one count of rape and two counts of outrage of modesty. Justice Aidan Xu ensured that bail conditions, including an electronic tag and regular check-ins, stood firm despite his pleas otherwise.

Key to the prosecution's argument was the consistency in the victim's testimony, which the judge deemed credible. Although Ramalingam argued that his erectile dysfunction made the crime impossible, expert witness testimonies refuted his claims, upholding the girl's accounts despite the absence of DNA evidence.

(With inputs from agencies.)