Three more Indians were today charged for alleged rioting in Singapore's worst outbreak of violence in over 40 years, a day after 24 of their compatriots were remanded, as police grilled nearly 4,000 foreign workers in a major crackdown.
The three men were among eight arrested yesterday in connection with the riot in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most of the South Asian workers take their Sunday break, triggered by the death of an Indian in a road accident, police said today.
Rajendran Ranjan, 22, Moorthy Kabildev, 24, and Sathiyamoorthy Sivaraman, 36, were remanded for further investigations and will return to court on January 18.
All the three men are accused of being part of an unlawful assembly and attacking - with a dustbin, wooden stick, hardened concrete, bottles and a metal drain cover - a private bus, that fatally knocked down 33-year-old Sakthivel Kumaravelu at the junction of Tekka Lane and Race Course Road.
The three men appeared expressionless as a court interpreter read out their charges in Tamil.
They face one rioting charge each, punishable by up to seven years in prison and caning. Yesterday, 24 Indians, aged between 22 and 40, were remanded for a week to facilitate further investigations and face a similar charge.
The police has interrogated about 3,700 foreign workers from 10 dormitories across the island so far. Of these, 176 had their statements taken at the Criminal Investigation Department, including those who were subsequently arrested.
About 400 South Asian migrant workers were involved in the Sunday rampage that left 39 police and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles, including 16 police cars, damaged or burnt.
Singapore previously witnessed violence of such scale during race riots in 1969.
The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme was helping to secure lawyers for all the accused, its representative told the Court.
The Indian High Commission in Singapore was working with Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry to facilitate consular access and support for all the accused for their role in riot in Little India.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has ordered the formation of a special committee to probe the incident and warned to use "full force of the law" against trouble-makers.
Lee, in South Korea for an official visit, posted on his Facebook page yesterday: "Keeping track of follow up to the Little India riot. It is in good hands.
