Singapore Executes Mentally Challenged Indian-Origin Man In Drugs Case

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a mentally challenged Indian-origin Malaysian man convicted in a drug trafficking case, was executed in Singapore today, his family told the media after his mother's appeal was dismissed by the court of appeal on Tuesday.

Dharmalingam, 34, was hanged this morning and his remains will be taken back to Ipoh, a city in northern Peninsular Malaysia, Bernama News Agency quoted Dharmalingam's brother Navin Kumar as saying.

He was convicted in 2010 and had exhausted all legal recourse. He was first scheduled to be hanged on November 10 last year but filed a last-ditch challenge. After his mother's application was dismissed, the court ordered his death sentence.

Dharmalingam was convicted and sentenced to death in November 2010 for importing 42.72 grams of heroin in 2009, when he was caught at Woodlands Checkpoint (a causeway link with Peninsular Malaysia) while entering Singapore, with the bundle of drugs strapped to his thigh.

The mother, who came to the Singapore court from the northern Malaysia, failed in her last-minute appeal to save her son.

"This a last-minute application, brought just two days before the scheduled execution, and is the seventh application (not including appeals) brought by Nagaenthran after his appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in 2011 more than 10 years ago," Singapore's Attorney General's Chambers said today.

"It is the latest attempt to abuse the court's processes and unjustifiably delay the carrying into effect of the lawful sentence imposed on Nagaenthran," it said.
 

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