Cop groped 2 police NSFs who were his subordinates, possessed obscene films
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
June 10, 2024
A police officer who was a supervisor to two full-time national servicemen (NSFs) groped the pair while they were on duty on separate occasions.
Rama Shanker Singh, now 60 years old, targeted his first victim, identified in court documents as V1, in the conference room at the Ang Mo Kio Police Division Headquarters in 2003. V1 is now 42 years old.
He groped the second victim, V2, who is now 38, in a police car some time between 2005 and 2006.
Singh, who was a superintendent when he retired in 2016, was initially handed five molestation charges in January 2023. Four of them were later reduced to that of using criminal force on others.
He pleaded guilty to two of these reduced charges on June 10. Singh also admitted to one count of being in possession of obscene films.
Multiple other charges, including the two remaining counts of using criminal force on others, will be considered during sentencing.
Court documents did not disclose the reasons behind the reduction in the charges.
Singh joined the police force in 1984.
He was the chief investigation officer at the investigation branch at Ang Mo Kio Police Division Headquarters from Aug 1, 2002, to Aug 1, 2004.
V1 was posted to the division in 2003 and Singh was his supervisor.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Tay Jia En and Gladys Lim stated in court documents: "Prior to the offence, V1 respected the accused and had a positive view of him... The accused had also offered to support V1 if V1 should choose to sign on to become a police regular."
Some time in 2003, V1 was told to go to the conference room at the police division to collect some investigation papers.
No one else was around when Singh approached V1 while the younger man was sitting on a chair.
The DPPs said: "The accused... stood behind V1. He proceeded to massage V1's shoulders while telling V1 that he was attracted to V1. The accused then kissed V1 at the top of V1's head."
Singh then touched V1's private parts and the younger man, who felt shocked and helpless, left the room.
"He did not know how to react as he was being touched by his supervisor. He also did not think that men would be the subject of such offences," said the prosecution.
In the end, V1 decided not to report the matter to the police as he wanted to complete his NS "smoothly".
The DPPs said that the following year, Singh was deployed to the Operations Department at the police headquarters.
Then, from Sept 1, 2004, to Aug 1, 2012, he was posted to the compliance management division under the Security and Inspectorate Regulatory Department (SIRD) as the head of compliance management.
V2 was deployed to SIRD from 2005 to 2006, the court heard.
On one occasion, he was with Singh in a police car when the older man touched V2's genitals.
Singh withdrew his hand when the younger man told him to stop, only to repeat the act later during the same ride.
The DPPs told the court: "V2 felt angry and outraged by the accused's actions but chose to keep quiet as the accused was his supervisor and senior officer.
"After the incidents, V2 felt embarrassed, ashamed and humiliated as he was physically strong yet felt that he allowed the accused to touch him in that manner."
On Dec 13, 2020, the police received information that Singh had allegedly committed certain "offences" against an NSF, and the retiree was arrested in Buffalo Road eight days later.
Details about the offences and this particular NSF were not disclosed in court documents.
Singh was later investigated for the offences he committed against V1 and V2.
The authorities also seized his mobile phone and two laptop computers. These devices were later found to contain 170 obscene films.
Singh will be sentenced on June 12.
