Representative image (AI-generated)
An Indian-origin Singaporean man was charged on Monday with making a false terrorist threat at a church, prompting all services to be cancelled on Sunday.Kokulananthan Mohan, 26, was charged under Regulation 8(2)(a) of the United Nations (Anti-terrorism Measures) Regulations after a suspicious item was found at St Joseph’s Church in the Upper Bukit Timah area, which includes an upmarket residential neighbourhood, news agency PTI reported, citing Channel News Asia. According to the charge sheets, Kokulananthan allegedly placed three cardboard rolls containing stone pebbles and protruding red wires, held together with black and yellow adhesive tape, inside the church at around 7.11 am. The act was allegedly intended to make others believe the items could explode or ignite, potentially causing injury or property damage.“Preliminary investigations suggest that the man had allegedly staged the incident by placing a self-fabricated item which resembled an improvised explosive device within the church premises,” the Singapore Police Force said in a statement on Monday.Police said Kokulananthan acted alone and there is currently no evidence to suggest the incident was religiously motivated or an act of terror.He was remanded for three weeks for psychiatric evaluation and is scheduled to return to court on January 12. During the hearing, Kokulananthan said his previous hospital admission was alcohol-related and described the behaviour observed by police as resulting from a lack of sleep due to working night shifts. The judge said these matters could be addressed during the psychiatric evaluation.If convicted, Kokulananthan could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to SGD500,000 (around USD386,757), or both.
