Alleged assault on MRT train: Man, 40, arrested for public nuisance, investigated for voluntarily causing hurt

SINGAPORE — A 40-year-old man was arrested on Sunday (May 23) for public nuisance, after allegedly assaulting another man on an MRT train along the Downtown Line.

The police said in a news release that they were alerted to a case of an assault on a train in the vicinity of 60 Bukit Timah Road, which is near Little India MRT Station, at 10.13am on Sunday.

“Upon receiving the '999' call, police officers from the Public Transport Security Command were despatched to render assistance. However, the persons involved were no longer at scene.”

They said that the 40-year-old man was later identified and arrested. He will also be investigated for voluntarily causing hurt.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 40-year-old man and a 24-year-old man had a dispute while they were on the train.

“The dispute escalated, and the 40-year-old man had allegedly assaulted the 24-year-old man as a result. Investigations are ongoing,” they said.

In a video making its rounds on social media, a man in a black T-shirt and jeans is seen beating up and kicking another man. The other man, who is in a grey T-shirt, is seen lying on the floor of the train and trying to shield himself.

In their statement, the police advised members of the public to call 999 if they see an assault taking place.

“Videos of the incident should be shared with the police quickly, instead of being circulated on social media platforms,” they added.