No luck in hunt for samurai sword used in Little India slashing
A four-hour search in Lower Peirce Reservoir yesterday for a samurai sword used in a slashing incident in Serangoon Road has yielded nothing.
Two commercial divers from Asia Dive Academy were engaged to search for one of two weapons used in the attack which left a 27-year-old man, believed to be a Singaporean, lying in a pool of blood in front of the bus stop near 202 Serangoon Road on Wednesday.
The second weapon - a kitchen knife - was left at the scene, near Broadway Hotel.
Investigators yesterday were spotted escorting one of the seven suspects to the reservoir at about 1pm. The suspect - understood to be Arjun Retnavelu - was in restraints.
Arjun claimed he had dumped the sword at about 4pm on Wednesday, about 11/2 hours after the slashing.
Divers Ryan Phoa, 29, and Mr Jacki Ng, 42, entered the water at around 1.30pm.
Mr Ng said they dived to a depth of about 3m but visibility was only about 10cm. It became worse when reservoir sediment was kicked up, making the water even murkier.
Mr Ng said there was a thick layer of silt at the bottom that the sword could have sunk into.
Arjun had claimed he wrapped the sword in an orange cloth before dumping it.
At about 3.30pm, police checked closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the area for more clues but had no luck.
The Straits Times understands that Arjun was not in the footage. Police said the search was called off at about 5.45pm.
The attack on Wednesday happened at 2.30pm and left the victim with serious injuries, including wounds on the back of his head, arms and legs. He was then taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he is in a stable condition.
The assailants fled in a rental car after the attack, prompting an islandwide manhunt. The seven suspects were rounded up in 16 hours.
They are all Singaporeans aged between 17 and 28. The Straits Times understands that they are being investigated for rioting while armed with dangerous weapons.If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to 10 years and caned.
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