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Teen beaten until eye ruptures
31 May 2011
SOURCE: The New Paper
THEY were angry with a rival gang and wanted revenge.
So they picked on the 17-year-old, who was waiting with his friend at a bus stop.
The gang whacked Arifudien B.M.J. Abideen with a wooden pole and a spanner and kicked him repeatedly.
The vicious attack ruptured his right eye, which later had to be removed in hospital.
Arifudien also suffered multiple fractures in his nose and finger. He was warded at the National University Hospital for a week.
Yesterday, Poovaindran Murugan, 27, an army regular, was sentenced to four years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
The senior gang member had pleaded guilty to one count each of rioting with a deadly weapon and being part of an unlawful assembly.
Two other charges of dishonestly receiving stolen property were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Eight other youths, aged between 16 and 20, who were also involved in the attack, have been either placed on probation or sent for reformative training.
Still at large
Two other accomplices are still at large.
The court was told that they and Murugan were part of the Gi Hai Khim gang, which was operating at West Coast Road then.
The attack on April 29, 2009 was sparked by a dispute over comments made by one of Murugan’s gang members earlier that month.
The gang member had bad-mouthed the 369 gang, which operated at Clementi West Street 2.
Shortly after, Murugan received a call from a man who identified himself as “Vicknesh” from the rival gang.
He demanded that Murugan bring the member who had made the insulting comment to a “settlement talk”.
Vicknesh also told him that each gang should bring along five members and meet at a coffee shop at Block 710, Clementi West Street 2 on April 29.
But the 369 gang turned up with more than five members.
Murugan’s gang found themselves outnumbered and were eventually forced to slap their own member in front of their rivals.
The incident left them bitter and angry, and they plotted revenge.
They decided to take it out on Arifudien, who was waiting with his friend, 18, at a bus stop at West Coast Road.
The gang members led Arifudien to a sheltered walkway nearby where he was then attacked.
It was not mentioned in court if Arifudien was a gang member and whether his friend was made to follow them as well.
After the attack, Murugan and a member drove to a deserted place in the Dover area to dispose of the wooden pole and spanner. By then, it was about 11pm.
The victim was later taken to the hospital where the cuts on his lower lip, scalp and right cheek were cleaned and the fractures on his finger and nose were treated.
His right eyeball, which was found to have ruptured, was removed.
The court also heard yesterday that Murugan dishonestly received two mobile phones which was taken from Arifudien and his friend. They were worth $700.
In his mitigation, Murugan said he was no longer the violent youth he once was.
He added that he signed on with the army after the incident, but a back injury during training ended his military career.
The New Paper understands that he will be discharged from the army soon.
As his sentence was passed, Murugan’s mother, who was present in court with his family, broke down in tears.
For rioting with a deadly weapon, Murugan could have been jailed 10 years and caned.
For being part of an unlawful assembly, he could have been jailed two years and fined.
How come army let a SENIOR GANG MEMBER sign on and be ARMY REGULAR? Honest mistake? Acceptable to move on?
