By Trend News Line 2024-03-28 16:56:00.
Rape Conviction of Bar Owner in Little India
In a recent court ruling, the owner of a bar in Little India, Singapore, has been convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl who worked for him. The incident took place after the victim ran away from the Singapore Girls’ Home, where she was residing at the time.
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Details of the Case
Raj Kumar Bala, aged 41, was accused of molesting and raping the young girl between the night of February 21, 2020, and the early morning of February 22. The assaults allegedly occurred at his rented condominium unit while the victim was under the influence of alcohol.
He faced three charges related to the victim – one for rape, one for outrage of modesty, and one for harbouring her. While he pleaded guilty to the harbouring charge, he contested the rape and molestation charges during the trial, which commenced in August 2023.
Verdict and Sentencing
On March 28, a High Court judge found Raj Kumar guilty of the rape and outrage of modesty charges. The judge stated that there was sufficient evidence presented by the prosecution to prove that the victim did not consent to the sexual acts. The sentencing for the case has been adjourned to a later date.
The victim, now 20 years old, remains anonymous due to a gag order. Apart from this case, Raj Kumar is also facing 22 other charges, primarily for sex offences against five additional victims. These charges will be addressed at a later date.
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Timeline of Events
The victim initially went to the Dunlop Street bar in February 2020 for a job interview, where she was hired by Raj Kumar. He allowed her to stay at the bar with two other runaways. However, on the night of February 21, 2020, the bar was raided by the police after receiving a tip-off about the presence of runaways.
Raj Kumar then took the three girls to his rented condo and permitted them to stay there. After consuming alcohol with the girls, the victim became heavily intoxicated. Subsequently, Raj Kumar engaged in sexual activities with the victim and another girl on different floors of the unit, while the third girl remained downstairs.
The victim eventually left the condo and disclosed the rape to a friend two to three weeks later. She surrendered herself to the Singapore Girls’ Home and reported the incident to her case worker, leading to the legal proceedings.
Judicial Findings
During the trial, Justice Mavis Chionh acknowledged that there were some inconsistencies in the victim’s statements to the police and in court. However, she deemed these differences as not affecting the overall credibility of the victim’s account.
The testimonies of the two other girls present at the condo corroborated the victim’s version of events, highlighting her distress and discomfort following the assault. Justice Chionh also noted the absence of collusion among the girls and attributed the delay in reporting to the victim’s lack of trust in seeking help while on the run.
In conclusion, the court ruling underscores the gravity of the crime and the need for justice to be served in cases of sexual assault and exploitation..
– Bar owner convicted raping teen runaway
– Bar owner convicted assault teen runaway.
