Shipyard worker jailed for molesting man in lift

A BANGLADESHI shipyard worker who molested a 24-year-old man inside a lift was sentenced to seven weeks' jail yesterday.

Sheikh Rony, 23, pleaded guilty to placing his palm on the victim's chest, moving his hand towards the victim's stomach and sliding it towards the victim's groin twice inside the lift at a Housing Board block in Boon Lay Avenue on Aug 7.

The court heard the victim had arrived at the ground-floor lift lobby of the block at about 1.05am that day and saw the accused standing there.

Rony entered the lift as the door was about to close. He tried to strike up a conversation with the victim, who did not answer but asked why he was interested to know his details.

Then, Rony suddenly placed his palm on the victim's chest and moved his hand slowly to the victim's stomach. He was sliding his hand towards the victim's groin when the latter used his plastic bag to stop him and pushed his hand away.

When Rony tried to slide his hand again, the victim pushed his hand away again.

When the lift door opened, the victim got out. He was still in shock and felt that his modesty had been outraged.

He tried to look for the accused on an upper floor but could not find him. He also checked the ground floor to no avail.

On Aug 16 at about 12.30am, the victim was walking to the lift lobby when he saw the accused and called the police.

A second charge of molesting a woman inside a lift was taken into consideration.

District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid backdated his sentence to his remand on Aug 17.

The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail, fine and caning.

elena@sph.com.sg

This article by The New Paper was published in MyPaper, a free, bilingual newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.