2 men from India attack Singapore national; caned, jailed for 5 months

Singapore: Twin brothers from India have been each jailed for five months and ordered to receive three strokes of the cane for attacking a compatriot at a dormitory in Singapore.

Lakshmanan and Raman Pothiyappan, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to their fellow countryman and colleague, Thevvan Velayutham, 41.

The duo were each jailed for five months and ordered to receive three strokes of the cane, The Straits Times reported today.

They committed the offence at a Shaw Road dormitory near Upper Paya Lebar Road on October 29 last year. Deputy Public Prosecutor Soh Weiqi said Thevvan, who is also a construction worker, was sitting in the front porch of the dormitory when the two brothers started punching and kicking him.

Lakshmanan, who had consumed alcohol shortly before the attack, also threw a chair at Thevvan and it struck his head and body. Soh said: "Raman had informed that the victim and Lakshmanan were not on good terms, and that he had joined in the assault to support his brother."

Thevvan later went to Changi General Hospital, where he was found to have injuries, including a broken nose and a fracture near an eye. Soh told District Judge Samuel Chua that the victim has since fully recovered from his injuries.

She urged the judge to sentence the brothers, who were unrepresented, to at least five months' jail with caning. Before handing out the sentence yesterday, Judge Chua told the brothers: "The injuries were severe... Such offences will not be tolerated in Singapore."

For causing grievous hurt, each attacker could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.