Student jailed nearly three years for fatal push that sent drunk stranger into Singapore River
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Legha Pawan, an Indian national, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to 33-year-old Jasbir Singh, where the injury ultimately led to the victim's death. The charge had been reduced from an earlier charge of causing death by a rash act. A second charge was taken into consideration.
The court heard that on the night of June 30, 2024, Legha had gone out drinking with several housemates in Clarke Quay. The group consumed alcohol near the riverside close to the Paradox Singapore Merchant Court Hotel. Legha drank two cans of beer and got into a brief scuffle before the group dispersed.
Around 10.10pm, Jasbir Singh, a construction worker, was walking alone along the riverbank. He had been drinking heavily after his mother's death two to three months earlier.
Legha, who returned to the scene alone around 10.30pm, approached Singh, who was swaying and hugging a lamp post. The two were not acquainted. Eyewitnesses saw Legha speak quietly to Singh before suddenly pushing him in the chest. Singh, who had his back to the river, stumbled backwards, rolled down the steps and into the water.
A couple nearby witnessed the incident and called the police. Legha fled the scene.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force's Disaster Assistance Rescue Team launched a search. Singh's body was found around 2am on July 1, 2024. An autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death, with visible injuries on his neck and head. Toxicology results showed high alcohol content in his blood.
After the incident, Legha removed his shirt to avoid detection, contacted a housemate to retrieve his backpack, and returned home only at 8am, when he was arrested.
Legha claimed Singh had grabbed his bangle and insulted his mother, but police found no evidence.
CNA reported prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin as saying Legha was aware the victim was intoxicated and that 'it was reasonably foreseeable that the push would cause grievous hurt.'
She highlighted aggravating factors, including Legha's intoxication, the unprovoked push, and his failure to help.
Defence lawyer Simran Kaur Sandhu sought 30 months' jail, arguing that both men were drunk and that no weapon was used. She described the shove as 'a generic push.'
Legha could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$10,000 (RM33,000), or both.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
10 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
China embassy rejects links to UNC3886 cyberattacks on Singapore as ‘groundless smear'
SINGAPORE, July 21 — The Chinese embassy in Singapore refuted claims that an espionage group accused of performing cyberattacks on Singapore's critical infrastructure was linked to China. In a Facebook post published over the weekend, the Chinese embassy said such claims were 'groundless smears and accusations'. 'The embassy would like to reiterate that China is firmly against and cracks down all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law. China does not encourage, support or condone hacking activities,' it wrote on Saturday. Last Friday, a Singapore minister said the espionage group UNC3886 was 'going after high value strategic threat targets, vital infrastructure that delivers essential services' but did not give details of the attacks. The minister did not link the group to China but Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant has described UNC3886 as a 'China-nexus espionage group' that has attacked defence, technology and telecommunications organisations in the United States and Asia. Beijing routinely denies any allegations of cyberespionage, and says it opposes all forms of cyberattacks and is in fact a victim of such threats. Singapore's critical infrastructure sectors include energy, water, banking, finance, healthcare, transport, government, communication, media, as well as security and emergency services, according to the country's cyber agency. — Reuters
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Chinese national pleads not guilty after charged with stabbing ex-girlfriend at PJ university
SHAH ALAM, July 21 — A Chinese national student has reportedly pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to stabbing his former girlfriend last week. Free Malaysia Today reported that You Wei, 22, was charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by stabbing the woman on the left side of her neck with a knife at a private university in Sunway here on July 14. When he was charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code, You reportedly replied that he understood but 'disagreed'. If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail, or a fine, or whipping, or any combination of the three. Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Sofea Jaysal initially urged the court to deny bail, citing You as a flight risk. However, lawyer Revin Kumar argued that his client You was undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder and will not flee since he is completing his studies. Judge Norazlin Othman granted bail of RM20,000 with two sureties. She also instructed You to refrain from contacting the victim and witnesses, surrender his passport, and report to the nearest police station every month. The case has been fixed for mention on September 17. Last week, the police said they arrested a 21-year-old foreign man for allegedly attacking his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend with a knife at a private university in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Investigations revealed that the victim, who is also a foreign national, suffered slash wounds to the left side of her neck. She was taken to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre emergency department and placed in the red zone for treatment.
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Cancel culture is just public shaming with wi-fi — Hanan Addeena Arman
JULY 21 — We all make mistakes. Some big, some small. But now, thanks to social media, a single wrong move can become a viral moment—and sometimes, it ruins lives. That's the reality of cancel culture. At first, cancel culture seemed like a good thing. It gave power to the people. When big celebrities or companies did something offensive or harmful, they were finally held accountable. No more sweeping things under the rug. It felt like justice. But somewhere along the way, cancel culture stopped being about accountability. Now, it often feels more like public punishment. Social media acts like judge and jury, with millions of people piling on, calling names, and demanding consequences—without context, without facts, and most importantly, without compassion. And it's not just celebrities anymore. It's random people, too. Regular folks caught on camera during a bad moment. Like that schoolboy who once ate on the MRT train. He was probably hungry, maybe just had a long day, and made a small mistake. But someone decided to film him, post it, and let the internet chew him up. His face and actions were shown to thousands—maybe millions. All because he brought food on public transport. He's a teenager. A kid. Not a criminal. But people online don't care. They just want something to be angry about. This is the scary part of cancel culture. It makes us forget that the people we're attacking are human. They have feelings, families, and personal struggles we'll never know. It turns the internet into a place where people feel afraid to speak, afraid to act, afraid to be imperfect. Of course, some actions deserve to be called out. Racism, abuse, corruption—those things shouldn't be ignored. But there's a big difference between calling something out and tearing someone down. Accountability means giving people a chance to understand, apologize, and grow. The scary part of cancel culture is that it makes us forget that the people we're attacking are human with feelings, families, and personal struggles and the internet into a place where people feel afraid to speak, afraid to act, afraid to be imperfect. — Unsplash pic Cancel culture doesn't always leave space for that. It's more like, 'You messed up. You're done. Forever.' And what message does that send? That people can't change? That one mistake defines your whole life? Even worse, cancel culture can silence important conversations. People stop sharing opinions or asking questions out of fear they'll say the wrong thing and be 'cancelled.' It creates a culture of fear instead of one of learning. And when we're too scared to talk, how can we grow? The media plays a huge role in this too. News outlets love stories that spark outrage. Headlines are designed to grab attention, not to explain. And when a person is being dragged online, the media often joins in instead of helping people understand the full story. The more clicks, the better. But at what cost? We need to start bringing empathy back into the conversation. Before we share that video, before we comment on something cruel, before we hit repost—ask: Who is this person? What's the full story? Are they really a villain, or just someone who made a mistake? Social media is powerful. It can expose injustice, uplift voices, and create change. But when it's used to destroy instead of educate, to shame instead of understand, we all lose. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves to be seen as more than their worst moment. So maybe instead of cancelling people, we start teaching. Listening. Forgiving. Because a kinder internet starts with each of us choosing empathy over outrage. *The author is an undergraduate student of Universiti Malaya, taking an elective university course entitled 'Introduction to Journalism and Storytelling in Digital Age', and may be contacted via [email protected] ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
