Indian jailed for robbing compatriot jeweller in Singapore

A 53-year-old Indian in Singapore has been jailed for over three years for robbing a compatriot jeweller of cash and valuables to the tune of USD 31,910, media reports said.

Yelchur Sreenivas, 51, was robbed by Srinath Bari Ramdeo Bari and his two accomplices near Towner Road as he was returning home on May 25 last year.

Srinath along with his two accomplices repeatedly hit Sreenivas with a wooden pole and robbed him of cash and valuables worth about 43,000 Singapore dollars (USD 31,910), The Straits Times reported.

Srinath also pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to report for a urine test (for drug checks) and was given a six month jail term on each charge, the report said.

A fourth charge of failing to report for his test was considered during his sentencing, it said

In lieu of the mandatory 12 strokes of the cane, Srinath, who is above 50 and cannot be caned, was given an additional jail term of 20 weeks, the report said.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur ordered the sentence for the robbery and one of the urine tests to run consecutively, making a total of four years and 20 weeks in jail, it said.

She backdated his sentence to September 23 last year.

The robbery’s mastermind Venkatachalapathy, 48, was sentenced to four years and three months’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane on November 2.