In recent years, M Ravi has been no stranger to controversy. His confrontational approach and headline-grabbing behavior have landed him in legal troubles on multiple occasions.
He was charged in court yesterday (14 July) with voluntarily causing hurt and behaving in a disorderly behaviour, with both charges being for the same incident that took place on 12 July, according to Channel NewsAsia.
Allegedly slapped man in the face
On the evening of July 12, 2023, near Yio Chu Kang MRT station, an incident occurred involving M Ravi and another man named Sellvaraja T Muniyandi.
According to witnesses, Ravi allegedly slapped Muniyandi on his left cheek and shouted loudly. The reasons behind this altercation are not clear at the moment.
Remand at the Institute of Mental Health
M Ravi has a history of bipolar disorder, and given the circumstances of the incident, the court has ordered him to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health an examination, and he is set to return to court later this month.
If M Ravi is convicted of voluntarily causing hurt, he could face a maximum jail term of three years and/or a fine of up to S$5,000.
As for the charge of behaving in a disorderly manner, the penalties for a first-time offender include a jail term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to S$2,000.
Repeat offenders may face double the jail term and a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. It’s worth noting that Ravi has a previous conviction for a similar offense back in 2004.
Ravi’s Troubled History
This incident adds to the long list of legal troubles M Ravi has faced over the years. He was previously suspended back in March from practicing law for a maximum of five years due to misconduct involving making what was described as “grave and baseless” accusations against the Attorney-General, officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the Law Society.
Ravi, known for representing death-row inmates, was charged in December 2020 with criminal defamation of Law Minister K Shanmugam, but the charge was later withdrawn by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and he received a conditional warning.
He also faced sanctions, including a 2007 suspension for being rude to a judge and a two-year prohibition from applying for a practicing certificate in 2016 for making allegations against a another lawyer as well as the Law Society’s president.