Singapore jails Indian student for fatal push of drunk stranger into river
Prosecutors said 22-year-old Legha Pawan's actions on 30 June last year, which resulted in the death of 33-year-old Jasbir Singh, were unprovoked and carried out without any clear reason.
On Wednesday, Pawan was sentenced to two years and 11 months in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt that resulted in grievous harm.
Pawan and Mr Singh were both Indian nationals. They didn't know each other.
Singh worked in construction and was married with two young children.
The court was told that Pawan had moved to Singapore to pursue his education and was studying at a private school, Birmingham Academy, at the time of the incident.
On 30 June last year, Pawan, who had been drinking with friends, returned alone to the riverside and reportedly suddenly shoved Singh – whom he did not know – without provocation.
Pawan and his friends had been drinking near Clarke Quay when an argument broke out. Intoxicated, Pawan had to be restrained by a friend, and the group later dispersed, local media reported.
Around the same time, Singh, was walking alone along the riverbank. He had been drinking heavily in recent months following his mother's death, CNA reported. At about 10.30pm, Pawan returned alone and approached Singh, drawing the attention of a nearby couple who recognised him from the earlier commotion.
Singh fell into the river and drowned. Pawan fled the scene, and changed his clothes to avoid detection. He took a train home and asked a housemate, unaware of the incident, to bring him his backpack at a nearby location. He returned to his flat around 8am the next morning, where he was arrested.
During questioning, Pawan claimed he pushed Singh because the older man had grabbed and damaged his bangle and insulted his mother, though there was no evidence to support this, The Straits Times reported.
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