(AI generated image for representation)
An Indian national and Singapore permanent resident was sentenced on Monday to four years in jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a woman in a nursing room at a shopping mall.46-year-old Ankit Sharma was convicted of aggravated outrage of modesty after he dragged a 31-year-old technology specialist recruiter into a nursing room at Changi City Point mall on March 1, 2023, Channel News Asia reported. The victim had met Sharma for the first time that evening after a colleague shared his profile with her.The meeting began with professional discussions but soon turned uncomfortable. Deputy public prosecutor Sheldon Lim told the court that Sharma initiated sexual conversations and asked intrusive personal questions over drinks at a bar. When the woman excused herself to use the washroom and later returned, Sharma waited outside and pulled her into a nearby nursing room, where he kissed her forcefully, restrained her, and made repeated sexual advances despite her resistance.Sharma denied the charges, claiming the woman had consented and suggested going to the nursing room. His defence argued that she voluntarily engaged with him but got upset after he remarked about her bad breath. The court rejected the defense and found Sharma guilty. The prosecution described the sexual exploitation as “extremely high” and the intrusion “intense and prolonged”. Sharma faced between two and 10 years of imprisonment and caning. His lawyer had sought a lighter sentence of three to three-and-a-half years with fewer cane strokes, but the court accepted the prosecution’s recommendation of at least four years in jail and six strokes of the cane.
