Little India riot: Indian to plead guilty to lesser charge

SINGAPORE: A 32-year-old Indian national, one of the 25 people accused of taking part in Singapore's worst riots in over 40 years, is expected to be the first person to plead guilty to a reduced charge, a media report said today.

Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi is among 25 Indian nationals facing charges relating to last month's riot which left 39 police officers and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles, including 16 police cars, damaged.

The prosecution told the court today that it has agreed to reduce the charge against Chinnappa to allegedly being involved in an unlawful assembly of at least five persons despite having been ordered to disperse.

This came about after Chinnappa's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan made representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Some 400 migrant workers from South Asia rioted on December 8 when an Indian was killed in a bus accident at the Little India, precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where foreign workers from South Asia spend their day off.