Lengkok Bahru stabbing: Neighbour willing to adopt victim’s son with special needs, treats him as her own
A neighbour of a 59-year-old man who was fatally stabbed at a Redhill HDB corridor said she is willing to take in the victim’s son, who reportedly has special needs.
“I treat him as if he were my own. If necessary, I’d even be willing to adopt him,” said the 60-year-old woman, while holding back tears.
The fatal incident occurred on July 20 at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru, where 59-year-old Thiyagarajan Karunakaran was killed after allegedly getting into a confrontation with his neighbour, Ng Swee Seng, who is of the same age. Ng has since been charged with murder.
Residents previously told Shin Min Daily News that Thiyagarajan was a single father who had been living at the block with his son, who is in his 20s, for the past two to three years. The son is believed to have witnessed the incident.
Victim would visit neighbour almost every day
A neighbour, Maria (transliterated), told Shin Min that the father and son visited her home almost every day.
She said Thiyagarajan would often help her with simple household chores in exchange for money to buy meals.
“I use a wheelchair to get around, so he’d help me bring in my laundry. If I came back from shopping, he’d carry my things upstairs and then ask if I could spare him $5 or $10 for food,” she said.
Maria described Thiyagarajan as a friendly person who frequently greeted neighbours, adding that many residents were shaken by his death.
“When I heard he had died, I was shocked. He was such a nice person. Why did he have to go so suddenly?” she said.
Maria added that even though Thiyagarajan was a frequent drinker, he was rarely disruptive and usually kept to himself.
“Even when he was drunk, he would just rest downstairs by himself. He never disturbed anyone.”
Victim had spoken about disputes with neighbour
Another neighbour, 58-year-old Madam Yao (transliterated), who had known Thiyagarajan for more than two years, said he had previously confided in her about frequent disputes with a neighbour.
“I told him to avoid the other party because it wasn’t worth escalating things. I never imagined something like this would happen so soon,” she said.
Neighbour treats victim’s son as her own
Speaking of Thiyagarajan’s son, tears welled in Maria’s eyes as she recalled him taking on odd jobs occasionally. She added that he was otherwise inseparable from his father and was believed to have mild autism.
“He doesn’t talk much. When he comes to my home, he just sits quietly and is very well-behaved. I’ve already come to treat him like my own son. If necessary, I’d even be willing to adopt him,” she said.
Queenstown SMC MP Eric Chua said he had spoken to the victim’s son after the incident.
He said that the son was still emotionally distressed and is currently staying with one of Thiyagarajan’s friends, adding that he is not yet ready to return home.
In a Facebook post on July 21, Chua explained that grassroots leaders were working closely with agencies and community partners to support the family with immediate needs, funeral arrangements, and counselling.
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
