Bar owner who raped 17-year-old runaway sentenced to prison and caning, Latest news from Singapore

The owner of a bar in Little India who gave shelter to a 17-year-old runaway and raped her three days later was sentenced to 13 years and four weeks in prison and nine strokes of the cane on July 8.

Raj Kumar Bala, 42, was found guilty in March on two counts of raping the teenager and sexually abusing her in his rented condo while she was drunk.

On July 8, he pleaded guilty to a third charge: harboring the teenager by allowing her to stay and work for him, even though he knew she had run away from the Singapore Girls’ Home.

In her verdict, Supreme Court Judge Mavis Chionh said the rape involved a “high degree of sexual exploitation.”

The judge found that Raj Kumar was not only aware of the victim’s vulnerability due to her intoxicated state but had also taken steps to pressure her to consume alcohol.

Judge Chionh added that he was aware that the teenager was on the run and needed money and accommodation from him.

After the verdict was announced, Raj Kumar’s lawyer Ramesh Tiwary said he intended to appeal the verdict.

Mr Tiwary also told the court that his client wanted to be released on bail so that he could sell his property and business to leave money for his wife and children, help his wife apply for permanent residency and enroll his son in school.

Judge Chionh rejected the bail application on the grounds that there was no reason why Raj Kumar needed to be physically present at these matters.

The bar owner also faces 22 other charges related to five other victims, mostly for sexual offenses. These charges are still pending in court.

He is accused of raping and molesting a victim identified in court documents as B1, raping and sexually assaulting a victim identified as B5, and raping, molesting and threatening another victim identified as B6.

He is also accused of sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 16 (identified as B7) and harassing and terrifying another victim (identified as B8).

Raj Kumar stood trial in August 2023 for sexually assaulting and raping the victim in the current case between the night of February 21 and the early hours of February 22, 2020.

He denied the allegations and claimed that the girl had consented to have sex with him.

But Judge Chionh found him guilty on both counts on March 28, saying prosecutors had presented enough evidence to prove the girl did not consent to the sexual acts.

The victim had gone to the bar on Dunlop Street for a job interview on February 18, 2020, about two weeks after she ran away from home.

Raj Kumar hired her and told her she could stay in the bar with two other runaways.

On the night of February 21, 2020, the bar was raided by police after an acquaintance of the runaways reported that they worked there.

Raj Kumar drove the three runaways to his apartment and told them they could stay there.

He was drinking with the girls and the victim was very drunk.

He eventually had sex with the victim and also engaged in sexual acts with another girl – the alleged victim, identified as B1 – on the second floor of the condominium.

The third girl stayed on the first floor.

The victim left the apartment that same day. She stayed with a friend and told him about the rape two to three weeks later.