Indian-Origin Man Jailed For Attacking Singapore Official With Sickle

An Indian-origin man was on Thursday sentenced to 11 years and nine months in jail with nine strokes of the cane for attacking a Certis enforcement officer with a sickle, severely injuring his leg, two years ago.

Vickneswaran Sivan, 32, was miffed with the officer as he had issued a summons for a smoking cigarette at the void deck of a block of flats in Canberra Link in Sembawang, according to The Straits Times.

Victim Mohamad Afiq Mohamad Jamil, 29, was given 141 days of hospitalisation leave after the attack on November 9, 2020. He is expected to make a full recovery, but will have permanent scars.

Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Marvin Bay noted that Vickneswaran had shown contempt towards authority.

The judge added, "It would be a moral hazard if officers were deterred from fearlessly and conscientiously performing their functions, flowing from any concern that they might face physical harm... from the very individuals whose conduct and compliance they were policing." Vickneswaran had pleaded guilty in October to seven charges, including voluntarily causing grievous hurt and causing hurt to a public servant.

He was with two friends at the Canberra Link void deck shortly before the attack. One of them, a 41-year-old man, was holding a lit cigarette.

Vickneswaran found a sickle with a curved blade that measured 16cm, and challenged the Certis officers to a fight and punched the auxiliary policeman's face.

He slashed Afiq's hands and legs at least four times and ran after the auxiliary policeman, who managed to escape.

The local people alerted the police and Vickneswaran, who had taken a taxi home, was arrested the next day.

In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei told the court that Afiq's injuries had impaired his capacity to engage in recreational activities and carry out his job. She added that he had to be redeployed as a result.

Vickneswaran was charged in court and was released on bail.

In June 2021, he allegedly beat up his pregnant wife, which caused her multiple fractures, and stole SGD 1,930 from her bank account.

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