A 46-year-old Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, Ankit Sharma, was sentenced to four years in jail and six cane strokes after being convicted of molesting a woman inside a nursing room at Changi City Point mall. Sharma was found guilty of one charge of aggravated outrage of modesty for assaulting a 31-year-old technology specialist recruiter on March 1, 2023.
The incident began as a professional meeting arranged through a colleague, but quickly turned uncomfortable when Sharma initiated sexual conversations and intrusive personal questions over drinks at a bar. The victim excused herself multiple times, stepping out to call for help or message her boyfriend, but Sharma persisted in questioning her about her sexual history and preferences.
Sharma then lured the victim into a nursing room, restrained her, forcibly kissed her, pushed her onto a chair, pinned her legs, and attempted further sexual acts despite her repeated protests. Prosecutors alleged that he forced her to perform a sex act.
During the trial, Sharma denied the allegations, claiming the encounter was consensual and blaming the victim for fabricating the assault after he made a remark about her breath. The court dismissed his defence, describing the assault as highly exploitative, intense, and prolonged.
Sharma faced a sentence range of two to ten years in prison with caning. The prosecution sought four years of imprisonment and six cane strokes, which the court accepted, rejecting the defence’s request for a lighter term. The judge concluded that Sharma’s actions were deliberate and violent, ruling out any possibility of consent.
