“Bar owner convicted of raping runaway”

Raj Kumar Bala, a 42-year-old bar owner of Indian descent from Singapore, has been sentenced to 13 years and four weeks in prison and nine lashes for raping a 17-year-old runaway girl whom he had allowed to work in his bar.

Bala was convicted of rape and sexual assault, among other charges. He also pleaded guilty to harboring a runaway, Channel News Asia reported.

Bala’s victims included a 17-year-old girl who escaped from the Singapore Girls’ Home in February 2020 and later found work at Bala’s Don Bar and Bistro in Little India. On February 22, 2020, police raided the bar, leading to further horrific revelations and subsequent charges against Bala.

(Disclaimer: Contributed by agencies.)