ABOUT THE CASE

Construction worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, appeared to be drunk when he boarded a private bus at Tekka Lane in Little India at around 9.15pm on Dec 8 last year.

When he later removed his bermuda shorts, Ms Wong Geck Woon, 38, who coordinated the buses, told him to get off the bus and the Indian national complied.

Bus driver Lee Kim Huat, 55, was making a left turn onto Race Course Road when he felt its left rear wheel roll over something. He got off the bus to check and saw Mr Sakthivel pinned under the wheel.

A crowd of onlookers made up of South Asian men soon gathered around the vehicle and shouted at Mr Lee and Ms Wong.

Police officers and Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel arrived at the scene at around 9.30pm to calm the crowd of around 100 people, but failed.

This marked the start of the Little India riot.