42-year-old Singaporean man lets 17-year-old runaway stay in his bar, rapes her and gets 13 years in prison and caning – Mothership.SG

A 42-year-old Singapore man was sentenced on July 8 to 13 years and four weeks in prison and nine strokes of the cane for raping a 17-year-old girl in February 2020.

The girl had run away from the Singapore Girls’ Home.

Accordingly CNARaj Kumar Bala, owner of the now-closed Don Bar & Bistro on Dunlop Street, had hired and recorded them before committing the crime in his rented condominium.

Hired her to work in his bar

The girl found out that another runaway was working in Raj Kumar’s bar and looked for work there too.

After an interview, he offered her a job serving customers and mixing drinks and told her she could stay at the bar with the other runaways.

A few days later, on February 22, 2020, authorities raided the site after receiving a tip that runaways were working there.

Raped her while she was drunk

The girl fled the raid along with another girl. They were later picked up by Raj Kumar at Sim Lim Tower and driven to his condominium.

The three of them drank alcohol together.

Raj Kumar then raped the victim and then had sexual intercourse with another girl.

Accordingly The Straits Times (ST), the victim left the apartment that same day and stayed with a friend. Two to three weeks later, she told him about the rape.

The victim returned to the Singapore Girls’ Home in July 2020.

In August 2020, she informed her caseworker about the rape.

There are also 22 other charges pending against Raj Kumar, most of which relate to sexual offenses involving five other victims.

Bail requested to sell property and settle family matters

Raj Kumar was found guilty of rape and sexual assault of the victim. He also pleaded guilty to a third count of harbouring a runaway under the Children and Young Persons Act.

Accordingly CNAJudge Mavis Chionh said the incident had caused the girl “significant personal harm” and that she blamed herself for allowing her intoxication to lead to the rape.

She stressed that Raj Kumar knew that the teenager was on the run and that she was dependent on him for income and accommodation.

The judge found that he had also pressured her to drink alcohol that evening and that he knew she was in a vulnerable state when drunk. ST reported.

Chionh rejected the prosecution’s request to impose sentences for rape and sexual abuse consecutively.

Raj Kumar’s lawyer said he intends to appeal the verdict. ST reported.

A request was also made to release Raj Kumar on bail pending his appeal. He wanted bail to sell his property and business so that he could leave the money for his wife and children.

In addition, he wanted to take care of other family matters, such as applying for permanent residence permits for his wife and one of his sons, who are foreign nationals.

The judge rejected the request for bail.

Top photos about Don Bar & Bistro on Instagram and Canva