Second Indian national jailed for rioting in Singapore

, Feb 17: A second Indian national was on Monday jailed for 15 weeks for his involvement in Singapore's worst

in 40 years.

Singaravelu Vignesh, 23, was jailed for failing to disperse when ordered to by the police during December 8 riot in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses.

He was sentenced under an amended charge of "continuing in an assembly after it had been ordered to disperse".

After less than an hour of deliberation, deputy chief district judge S Jennifer Marie sentenced Singaravelu to 15 weeks in prison with effect from his arrest date on December 8, The Straits Times reported.

Singaravelu was originally accused of rioting and faced a jail term of up to seven years and caning. Singaravelu, along with fellow construction worker, Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi, have been convicted under amended charge.

Chinnappa, 32, was the first to be jailed for 15 weeks under the amended charge earlier this month. Twenty-three other Indian nationals are now facing court charges for rioting in Little India which left 43 officers injured and 24 vehicles damaged or destroyed.

Some 400 migrant workers from South Asia rioted after an Indian national died in a bus accident on December 8, 2013. Fifty two Indians and a Bangladeshi have been deported for their role in the rioting. Singapore previously witnessed violence of such scale during race riots in 1969.

PTI