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Geylang pimps punch man for touching and not paying
By Joycelyn Wong
April 28, 2009
HE WAS accused of touching a prostitute on the breast. And when he refused to pay for doing so, Bangladeshi construction worker Didar Hossain Wahid Chowdhury, 25, was bundled into a room and beaten up by two pimps.
He was then given an ultimatum: Pay the woman $10 as compensation or pay her $40 for sex. When he refused, he suffered another round of beating.
When the pimps finally let him go, he realised that $80 was missing from his wallet. He then called the police. Both pimps were later arrested and charged.
One of the pimps, Peh Chye Heng, faced one count of robbery with hurt. He and Salman Abu Samah, 29, both worked as pimps at a back lane of Lorong 18 Geylang. They would help each other out.
On 25 Mar last year, Mr Didar had gone to Geylang to meet a friend. And while they were walking along the back lane, a woman suddenly held his hand and offered him sexual services.
He said he declined and continued walking, but Salman suddenly grabbed his shirt collar and demanded $35 as payment for touching the woman.
Mr Didar's friend was frightened by the confrontation and ran away.
When Mr Didar refused to pay, Salman punched him on his chest and pulled him into a room nearby. He said that Peh later entered the room, shut the door and told him to pay up.
He tried to reason with pimps
When Mr Didar tried to reason with them that it was the woman who had held his hand, he ended up being punched by the two pimps.
Salman later grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed his head onto a table. Peh then took out Mr Didar's wallet from his right rear pocket. When he got it back later, it was empty.
After he was kicked out of the room, Mr Didar ran to a nearby hotel and called the police.
The woman who accosted Mr Didar could not be located. District Judge Lee Poh Choo found Peh guilty of robbery with hurt and sentenced him to five years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
She said it was undisputed that there were only three people in the room. And since Salman did not remove Mr Didar's wallet and money, it must be Peh who had done so. She also pointed out that Salman had repeatedly testified that their practice was to search the victim, take their money and then release them.
Last year, Salman pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery with hurt and one count of escaping from custody. He was given 12 years of corrective training and 24 strokes of the cane. One of the robbery charges was in relation to this case.
Peh is appealing against the conviction and sentence. For robbery with hurt, he could have been jailed 20 years and caned.
Geylang pimps punch man for touching and not paying
By Joycelyn Wong
April 28, 2009
HE WAS accused of touching a prostitute on the breast. And when he refused to pay for doing so, Bangladeshi construction worker Didar Hossain Wahid Chowdhury, 25, was bundled into a room and beaten up by two pimps.
He was then given an ultimatum: Pay the woman $10 as compensation or pay her $40 for sex. When he refused, he suffered another round of beating.
When the pimps finally let him go, he realised that $80 was missing from his wallet. He then called the police. Both pimps were later arrested and charged.
One of the pimps, Peh Chye Heng, faced one count of robbery with hurt. He and Salman Abu Samah, 29, both worked as pimps at a back lane of Lorong 18 Geylang. They would help each other out.
On 25 Mar last year, Mr Didar had gone to Geylang to meet a friend. And while they were walking along the back lane, a woman suddenly held his hand and offered him sexual services.
He said he declined and continued walking, but Salman suddenly grabbed his shirt collar and demanded $35 as payment for touching the woman.
Mr Didar's friend was frightened by the confrontation and ran away.
When Mr Didar refused to pay, Salman punched him on his chest and pulled him into a room nearby. He said that Peh later entered the room, shut the door and told him to pay up.
He tried to reason with pimps
When Mr Didar tried to reason with them that it was the woman who had held his hand, he ended up being punched by the two pimps.
Salman later grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed his head onto a table. Peh then took out Mr Didar's wallet from his right rear pocket. When he got it back later, it was empty.
After he was kicked out of the room, Mr Didar ran to a nearby hotel and called the police.
The woman who accosted Mr Didar could not be located. District Judge Lee Poh Choo found Peh guilty of robbery with hurt and sentenced him to five years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
She said it was undisputed that there were only three people in the room. And since Salman did not remove Mr Didar's wallet and money, it must be Peh who had done so. She also pointed out that Salman had repeatedly testified that their practice was to search the victim, take their money and then release them.
Last year, Salman pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery with hurt and one count of escaping from custody. He was given 12 years of corrective training and 24 strokes of the cane. One of the robbery charges was in relation to this case.
Peh is appealing against the conviction and sentence. For robbery with hurt, he could have been jailed 20 years and caned.
