Stalker gets 16 years in jail for brutal rape of university student in Singapore

Chinnaiah Karthik followed the victim who alighted at Kranji MRT station after she boarded the wrong train on her way back to the on-campus residence

He later punched the woman multiple times before dragging her to a forested area and savagely raping her

Reading Time:4 minutes

Singapore’s skyline. A cleaner was sentenced to 16 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to aggravated rape. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:46pm, 28 Oct 2023

After stalking a university student in Singapore as she walked to a bus stop late at night, Chinnaiah Karthik pointed her in the wrong direction then punched the 23-year-old before dragging her to a forested area and viciously raping her.

After the ordeal, the victim was so badly injured with facial bruising and other injuries that her then boyfriend did not recognise her upon visiting her in hospital.

Chinnaiah, a 26-year-old cleaner, was sentenced on Friday to 16 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to aggravated rape.

One other related charge for abduction and a theft charge were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The victim’s name cannot be published due to a gag order to protect her identity.

The rape took place on May 4, 2019. The court heard that the reason for the case had taken some four years to get to court was that Chinnaiah’s mental condition had required several rounds of psychiatric evaluation.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x