Singapore: A former yoga instructor of Indian nationality was sentenced on Friday to 23 months in prison and four strokes of the cane for molesting three women during yoga classes.
Rajpal Singh, 35, who was employed at Trust Yoga on Telok Ayer Street at the time of the incidents, no longer teaches there. All three victims were his students when the molestations occurred.
Before delivering the sentence, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz noted that Singh had betrayed the trust placed in him by the three women, identified as Ms. C, Ms. V, and Ms. R, according to a report by The Straits Times.
The judge also stated that the victims suffered emotional and psychological trauma. She highlighted that Ms. C has been undergoing therapy and had testified that she considered yoga classes a “safe space” and never expected to be violated by an instructor in a position of authority.
Ms. V testified that she remains “very affected” by the incident, describing it as a “very traumatic experience.”
Following a 13-day trial, Singh was convicted on May 16 of five molestation charges involving the three women. The judge found their testimonies to be “unusually convincing.” Singh was acquitted of three additional molestation charges involving a fourth woman, Ms. Y.
Singh denied all allegations of molestation. His defense lawyer, Anil Murkoth Changaroth, stated that Singh would appeal the conviction and sentence. Singh’s bail was set at SGD 50,000.
Singh still faces two additional molestation charges, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for September 16, according to the Singapore Daily Report.
