Manikam Varatharaj, a 45-year-old Singaporean, found himself entangled in legal trouble after trying to avoid a police roadblock while under the influence.
He was sentenced to 3 weeks imprisonment on 28 July and fined $6,800, as well as being banned from driving for 42 months.
What happened
On a September night in 2019, at approximately 2:30 AM, Manikam Varatharaj was driving through Woodlands when he noticed a police roadblock up ahead. Fearful of being caught for drink driving, he decided to take an evasive course of action.
In a desperate attempt to elude the police, Varatharaj turned into a small road leading to the Seagate and 3M Singapore buildings, before he made a u-turn at the end of the road and parked his car at the exit of the Seagate building.
At this point, Varatharaj’s intentions became apparent to a vigilant security guard stationed at the 3M Singapore guardhouse. Curious about his actions, the guard approached Varatharaj, who seemed nervous and smelled of alcohol.
Varatharaj explained that he needed to urgently attend to something and requested the guard to watch over his car.
Despite the guard’s warning that he would inform the police if the car wasn’t moved, Varatharaj decided to abandon his vehicle and flee on foot. This left the security guard baffled and the exit lane obstructed, causing inconvenience to other road users.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, the guard immediately reported the incident to the police roadblock nearby. Upon receiving the information, the police promptly dispatched officers to the scene to investigate.
As events unfolded, two foreign workers who happened to arrive in a van were found to be associated with Varatharaj. They revealed that he had instructed them to be there at that specific time. The police took over a call from Varatharaj when he contacted one of the workers, further solidifying the case against him.
Upon apprehending Varatharaj, the police charged him with drink driving and leaving his car in a manner that inconvenienced other road users. Subsequently, he was put on trial to answer for his actions.
The Trial and its Outcome
At trial, Varatharaj attempted to defend himself by claiming that he had not seen the police roadblock. He further asserted that his hands and legs had been trembling, leading him to stop the car and leave it behind. However, the prosecution presented evidence to counter his claims.
Despite Varatharaj’s defense, the court found him guilty of both charges. Given his previous drink driving conviction and previous fines for other traffic offenses, the court handed down a sentence that included a three-week jail term, a fine of S$6,800, and a driving ban of 42 months.