Date:25/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/25/stories/2004122504681400.htm

International - India & World

Indian citizen set free in Singapore

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, DEC. 24. An Indian citizen, Vidya Shankar Aiyar, was set free by the authorities here on Thursday following remission of his 16-month prison sentence in respect of two charges of sexual offence, according to well-informed sources.

The apparent reason for remission was good behaviour. The sources indicated that Mr. Aiyar was not subjected to the additional penalty — four strokes of caning — on medical grounds under due process. He is understood to have left for India soon after his release.

Mr. Aiyar, a well-known television presenter, was convicted by a subordinate court on December 30 last year. The charges were that he had outraged the modesty of a woman at his apartment after a party which the two had attended in November 2002. He was sentenced on January 6 and he served it after apparently deciding against going on appeal.