Indian-origin singer fined in Singapore for molesting woman

A 42-year-old Indian-origin singer in Singapore has been fined for molesting a woman crew member of a freelance production crew. 

Sivabalan Siva Prasad Menon was fined SG $3,000 on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of molestation, as per the local press.

The incident reportedly happened in 2022 at the Mediacorp Campus in Stars Avenue after the victim reported for work on the production of a show where Menon was hired as a singer and dancer.

Reports state that on that particular day, Menon got highly drunk. After the show, when the lift arrived for the victim and her friend, Menon, in an inebriated state, walked out and grabbed the victim by her jaw, kissing her on the cheek. The victim, in a state of discomfort, tried to pull away, and her friend intervened, asking Menon to leave. The victim and her friend walked away and called for the next lift, noting Menon's alcohol odour as he left.

After that the victim alerted the crew about the incident. Later that day, she alerted the police.

Menon was fined on February 5, with his lawyer emphasising that this was Menon's first encounter with the law. It was also highlighted that the contact was of a fleeting nature and that there was no intrusion into the victim's private parts.

The charges and sentencing took place with the woman's identity protected by a gag order, and details about the show and the exact date were not disclosed to shield her identity. However, there is no such order protecting Menon's identity.