A Malaysian man has been charged in Singapore over the alleged rape of a foreign domestic worker in 2022 after purportedly posing as a police officer.
Sharveen Chetty, 48, was produced in the Singapore High Court today to face two counts of rape and one count of impersonating a police officer, The Straits Times reported. He was employed by public transport operator SBS Transit at the time of the alleged incident.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred near the Little India MRT station shortly before 8pm on July 11, 2022. Chetty was said to have approached a group of migrant workers who were gathered at a grassy area near the station.
Among those present were the alleged victim, then 35, and her boyfriend. Prosecutors said Chetty introduced himself as a police officer and asked members of the group to produce their identification documents.
Three individuals handed over their work permits. The woman, however, allegedly gave Chetty a letter from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower confirming approval of her foreign worker application. At his request, she also handed over her mobile phone.
The court heard that Chetty then told the woman to follow him while instructing the rest of the group to remain where they were. He allegedly led her to a secluded bushy area nearby.
Once there, prosecutors said Chetty checked that no one was around before kissing the woman. Although she initially resisted, the prosecution alleged she later complied after Chetty threatened to jeopardise her employment status and that of her friends in Singapore.
Chetty is accused of forcing the woman to perform oral sex before raping her.
Deputy public prosecutor Marcus Foo told the court that the prosecution would call several witnesses, including a doctor who examined the woman the day after the alleged assault, as well as a Health Sciences Authority analyst who is expected to testify that Chetty’s DNA was found on the woman’s clothing and body.
The case has drawn attention to concerns over the abuse of authority and the vulnerability of migrant workers, issues that continue to be closely scrutinised in the city-state.
