Man jailed 11 months for molesting 2 women, teenager

SINGAPORE — An unemployed man was sentenced to 11 months’ jail on Tuesday (May 15) for molesting two women along the Orchard Road shopping belt, as well as an 18-year-old while he was out on bail.

Pulanthiradas K Manikam, 55, admitted to three charges of outraging the modesty of his three victims, with another similar charge taken into consideration for sentencing. The victims cannot be named to protect their identities.

The court heard that on Jan 9 last year, at about 10.40am, Pulanthiradas approached a 24-year-old staff member of a clothing store in Ion Orchard shopping mall. When she asked if he needed help, he mumbled something she could not hear.

Then, he suddenly grabbed her, pulled her towards him, and held onto her. She tried to break free for a few seconds to no avail, till he let go and left the store. The incident was captured by a closed circuit TV camera.

The victim told her colleague, who called the police for help.

After that, Pulanthiradas walked out of the mall onto Scotts Road, where he molested another 47-year-old woman who was walking past him.

Stunned by his actions, she turned around, tapped his back and shouted at him, but he ignored her and continued walking away. She followed him and saw him reaching his hand towards a woman’s chest outside Royal Plaza on Scotts.

Pulanthiradas was arrested about half an hour later along Stevens Road.

He was released on bail and intended to plead guilty to molesting the two women, but instead re-offended on March 1 this year.

The latest offence took place at about 6pm. He approached an 18-year-old at the traffic light junction and asked the teenager to go for a drink with him. When he declined, Pulanthiradas told him he had a nice body and figure, and that he wanted to sexually assault him.

Even though the victim ignored him, Pulanthiradas followed him to his block of flats, where he molested him. He also took the lift up with the teenager, even when told not to do so.

The victim lodged a police report the next day.

Seeking at least 11 months’ imprisonment, Deputy Public Prosecutor Marshall Lim told the court that every Singapore resident, whether male or female, should have the right to “go around their own business without fear of being violated in public”.

“We need to send a strong message that violating the private space of a person, especially the most sensitive part of their body, cannot be tolerated,” he added.

For each count of outrage of modesty, Pulanthiradas could have been jailed up to two years and/or fined. He cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.