Singapore Woman Dies A Day After Accusing Indian Worker Of Faking Workplace Injury For Compensation

NDTV

2 days ago

A woman in Singapore died on Saturday, a day after posting accusations on Facebook against an Indian employee, alleging she faked a workplace injury to claim compensation. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the woman, Jane Lee, owned an eatery called Sumo Salad and had shared two detailed posts about the incident. Her sudden death has prompted an investigation by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), which is treating it as an "unnatural death." Ms Lee was in her 40s and a mother of two children, per the outlet.
A day before her death, Ms Lee said that Sran Kiranjeet Kaur, a woman from India, staged an accident to file a false work injury claim, which would have entitled her to compensation.
"I never imagined that someone could act with such deceit simply for the sake of money. "Ms. Sran Kiranjeet Kaur, a worker from India, approached me seeking employment. Just two days before her contract ended, she staged an incident-claiming to have slipped and fallen while taking the escalator to dispose of rubbish. On that day, she was supposed to leave work early, but she deliberately stayed back. It became clear to me that the accident was premeditated, likely as an attempt to file a false work injury claim," Ms Lee wrote in the post.
The woman claimed that the Indian woman carefully orchestrated the scheme along with her husband, who is also from India, and with the assistance of a legal firm that "coaches individuals on how to exploit injury claims for compensation."
Ms Lee said that she had video footage to prove that Kaur was never really injured and faked her accident for compensation. "I have personally witnessed her moving around normally-cooking, walking, and functioning without difficulty. However, her behaviour changes dramatically in the presence of others, especially doctors, where she exaggerates her condition and limps to feign serious injury. I accompanied her to several medical appointments and observed these deliberate actions," she wrote.
Ms Lee further stated that the Indian woman's strategy has been to target small business owners. "If they find one without proper insurance coverage, they instill fear and try to extort money," she wrote, adding, "If the business is insured, they aim for higher payouts by encouraging more serious injury claims, fabricating permanent disabilities so to receive a big lump sum from Insurance compan."
Ms Lee urged the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the police to investigate the case. "I respectfully urge you to investigate this case thoroughly. I fear that I will not be the last victim, and these individuals may continue to exploit other unsuspecting small businesses in similar ways," she said.
According to CNA, MOM is working with the employee's insurer to "assess the validity of the case", it said. "MOM will not hesitate to take parties found culpable for abusing the WIC system to task. Employers can approach MOM for help if they have concerns over fraudulent claims by their employees," the ministry added.