Little India riot: Eight more nabbed, thousands interviewed

SINGAPORE — Police action to identify those behind Sunday night’s riot at Little India continued apace yesterday, with eight more arrests and more than 3,700 other workers being interviewed at more than 10 dormitories for foreign workers across the island. The eight arrested are Indian nationals aged between 22 and 38.

Three of them will be charged in court today (Dec 11) at 2.30pm.

In total, 176 — including the 28 arrested at the scene — have been taken to the Criminal Investigation Department to have their statements recorded. More foreign workers are to be interviewed and further arrests can be expected if they are found to be implicated in the incident, said the police at a press conference yesterday.

Meanwhile, 24 workers arrested on Sunday night were charged with rioting at the Subordinate Courts yesterday afternoon. The 24 Indian nationals, whose ages range from 22 to 40, were a disparate group, who lived in different dorms and worked for different companies. They are currently remanded to help police investigations and will have their case mentioned again next week.

The police swoop came as the authorities here continued to gather evidence of what happened on Sunday night, and took steps to ensure that a repeat of the first such outbreak of violence in the Republic in more than 40 years will not occur in Little India or other areas where foreign workers gather in large groups.

In addition to the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in Little India this weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday also announced that the police have stepped up their presence in foreign worker dormitories and places where foreign workers congregate so that “life can go on as normally as possible and everyone has a feeling of security”. The public places include those in Geylang and the Golden Mile area. Security cameras will be installed in the Race Course Road vicinity by next week.

Mr Teo said yesterday that a Committee of Inquiry, which was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, will be formed by the end of this week. “We will have names and the terms of reference ready and this will provide a more in-depth look into this incident and also review the current procedures we have for places where foreign workers congregate and see whether there are improvements that are needed,” he added.

The riot had been sparked by a fatal traffic accident involving 33-year-old Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu who had been knocked down by the bus that had been scheduled to ferry him and other workers from Tekka Lane to their dormitory in Jalan Papan.

The inebriated construction worker was asked by Madam Grace Wong, 38, the transport coordinator on the bus, to alight as he was causing trouble. As the bus was turning into Race Course Road, Sakthivel was knocked down and pinned under the bus’ left rear tyre.

Investigations revealed that after Sakthivel disembarked, he was walking or running after the bus in “an unsteady manner”. “He then stumbled, tripped and fell onto the path of the rear tyre of the bus and was run over, ” the police added.

Following the incident, the crowd got rowdy and pelted rescuers with projectiles and attacked Mdm Wong. The Police and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers had to rescue her and the bus driver after the duo locked themselves in the bus.

The 55-year-old Singaporean bus driver has been arrested for causing death by a negligent act. Mr Teo yesterday stressed that police investigations will continue so that those who have broken the law will be dealt with “strictly, firmly and fairly in accordance with the law”.

Four other men — a Singapore permanent resident, an Indian national and two Bangladeshis — were released yesterday after they were assessed not to have been “active participants” in the riot.

Asked yesterday if the stepped up measures are too harsh, the police said that they are meant to be “very calibrated” in identifying those who are “active participants and perpetrators.”