Two Indian tourists who turned a Singapore holiday into a violent robbery spree against sex workers were each sentenced on Friday to five years and one month in jail, along with 12 strokes of the cane. The men — Arokkiyasami Daison, 23, and Rajendran Mayilarasan, 27 — pleaded guilty to robbing and assaulting two women in separate hotel rooms after hatching a plan to make quick money. According to The Straits Times, the duo landed in Singapore on April 24 for what was meant to be a short holiday. But just two days later, while strolling through Little India, they were approached by a stranger who offered them contact details of two sex workers. The duo saw an opportunity. Arokkiyasami told Rajendran that they were short of money and suggested they lure the women into hotel rooms and rob them. Rajendran agreed, and by 6 pm that evening, they had already arranged their first meeting with one of the women. The first victim was tied up, slapped, and robbed of jewellery, SGD 2,000 in cash, her passport, and bank cards were taken. Hours later that night, the pair struck again, dragging a second woman into a hotel room at around 11 pm, covering her mouth to silence her, and stealing SGD 800, two mobile phones, and her passport. She was threatened not to leave the room until they returned. The crimes came to light when the second woman confided in a man the next day, leading to police involvement. In court, both men pleaded for leniency. Arokkiyasami told the judge through an interpreter, “My father passed away last year. I have three sisters, one of whom is married, and we have no money. That is why we did this.” Rajendran added, “My wife and child are alone in India, and they are financially suffering.” Under Singapore law, voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery carries a sentence of five to 20 years in prison and at least 12 strokes of the cane. (With inputs from PTI)
