Indian to seek review of riot charges
31 Dec 2013 6:00 AM IST
Arun Kaliamurthy, 28, was in Singapore on tourist social visit pass when the riot took place in Little India on 8 December.
Kaliamurthy, currently out on bail, had last week asked the court to change the ‘unilateral decision’ of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) - to report to them on a daily basis to get his special pass - to a weekly one, in line with court-ordered bail conditions. But Deputy Public Prosecutor John Lu today told the court that as Controller of Immigration, ‘ICA has the power to impose whatever conditions they want when they issue an ‘S’ Pass’.
‘That’s an executive decision, and unfortunately this court has no power to review that decision,’ said Lu.
Responding to Lu’s statement, Kaliamurthy’s lawyer M Ravi said that his client was being ‘unequally treated’, given that the other accused continue to enjoy the benefits of their work permits, and only he had his social visit pass cancelled.
Ravi indicated that he will seek a judicial review in the High Court on the matter, The Straits Times reported.
The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on 29 January. It was ‘extremely oppressive and unreasonable’ to be required to report to the ICA daily, Kaliamurthy said. He is among 25 Indian nationals being charged for rioting in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most South Asian workers take their Sunday break.
Kaliamurthy, currently out on bail, had last week asked the court to change the ‘unilateral decision’ of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) - to report to them on a daily basis to get his special pass - to a weekly one, in line with court-ordered bail conditions. But Deputy Public Prosecutor John Lu today told the court that as Controller of Immigration, ‘ICA has the power to impose whatever conditions they want when they issue an ‘S’ Pass’.
‘That’s an executive decision, and unfortunately this court has no power to review that decision,’ said Lu.
Responding to Lu’s statement, Kaliamurthy’s lawyer M Ravi said that his client was being ‘unequally treated’, given that the other accused continue to enjoy the benefits of their work permits, and only he had his social visit pass cancelled.
Ravi indicated that he will seek a judicial review in the High Court on the matter, The Straits Times reported.
The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on 29 January. It was ‘extremely oppressive and unreasonable’ to be required to report to the ICA daily, Kaliamurthy said. He is among 25 Indian nationals being charged for rioting in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most South Asian workers take their Sunday break.
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