Monk jailed five months for molesting woman
A travelling monk was jailed five months yesterday after he groped a woman in Geylang.
Tamang Dawa, 42, pleaded guilty to one charge of molesting the 28-year-old woman on the night of July 11.
The Nepalese monk had drunk six glasses of beer at a coffee shop in Geylang when, at about 11.30pm, he walked past a hotel in the area.
The woman, who was selling items at a makeshift table, beckoned him over. She bent over to show him an item that was placed on the table.
But as she was talking to him, Tamang used his left hand to grope her chest. She swiped his hand away and shouted.
As Tamang walked away, two men who heard her shouts gave chase and detained him.
ARRESTED
He was later arrested by police at the scene.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashraf Hassan told the court yesterday that Tamang had entered Singapore on July 6 as a tourist, and wanted to renew his visa here so he could travel to Taiwan for worship.
The monk, who was represented by lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong from Invictus Law Corporation, cried in the dock.
His lawyers told the court their client was very remorseful, and rebuked himself for being a disgrace, having committed the offence near the temple he was staying at.
For using criminal force on the woman intending to outrage her modesty, Tamang could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined, or caned, or given any combination of the three.
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