A 42-year-old Indian-origin man was sentenced on Monday in Singapore to 13 years and 4 weeks in jail for raping a 17-year-old woman who had run away from residence. The accused was recognized as Raj Kumar Bala, who labored at a bar on Dunlop Avenue within the Little India district.
Bala would additionally obtain 9 strokes of the cane for committing the crime.
In keeping with his protection lawyer, Bala has requested that he be launched on bail pending attraction.
Throughout a listening to, the courtroom heard that the survivor was 17 years previous in February 2020, when she ran away from the Singapore Ladies’ Dwelling.
He heard a few job alternative at Bala’s Don Bar and Bistro by one other fugitive who labored there.
The opposite fugitive was additionally sexually assaulted by Bala, a cost that has been dismissed for now.
The survivor went to the bar and met with Bala for an interview, who described the job duties, which included serving prospects and making drinks. He supplied her the job, saying she might keep on the bar with different fugitives.
The survivor labored on the bar for a couple of days, however police acquired a tip about individuals who had run away and have been working there.
The survivor, together with one other woman, fled the bar to flee a police raid on February 22, 2020.
They have been later picked up by Bala, who took them to his condominium, telling them they may keep there, earlier than consuming alcohol with the women.
He raped the survivor whereas she was very drunk and in addition had sexual acts with the opposite woman.
The incident got here to gentle after the survivor turned herself in on the residence in July 2020.
The survivor’s lawyer advised the courtroom she had suffered “appreciable private hurt” and blamed herself for being intoxicated, which led to her being raped.
Her testimony in courtroom, which was corroborated by her ex-boyfriend, illustrated how trauma from her previous can be relived in a manner that might negatively have an effect on her well-being, the choose famous.
The courtroom additionally heard that Bala knew the survivor was on the run from police and trusted him for earnings and lodging.
Bala faces extra pending fees, together with 22 extra fees associated to 5 different victims, principally for sexual offenses.
In keeping with information company PTI, Bala is accused of raping and sexually abusing a sufferer recognized in courtroom paperwork as B1, raping and sexually assaulting a sufferer recognized as B5 and raping, sexually abusing and threatening one other sufferer recognized as B6.
He’s additionally accused of sexually penetrating a 16-year-old woman, recognized as B7, and sexually abusing and inflicting alarm to a different sufferer, recognized as B8.
