Suresh Naidu Bojanki, 37, and Bharati Tulshiram Choudhari, 47, are two Singapore Permanent Residents who will be facing charges in court on July 2, 2021, for violating their Stay-Home Notice (SHN) conditions.
Suresh and Bharati will face charges under Section 21A of the Infectious Diseases Act for conspiring to have Suresh break a term of his SHN, exposing others to the danger of infection. Suresh is also facing a charge under Regulation 3A of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 for neglecting to wear a mask.
Suresh and Bharati met on the same trip to Singapore on March 14, 2021. When they arrived, they were each given a 14-day SHN and told by ICA officers that they were not allowed to leave their individual rooms in the designated facility or have visitors for the duration of their SHN and were assigned to different rooms.
Suresh allegedly left his room and entered Bharati’s room without a face mask at 12.30 a.m. on March 20, 2021. He was said to have stayed there for about half an hour.
First-time offenders face a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or a six-month jail sentence if convicted. Foreigners may face additional administrative procedures by ICA and/or MOM, such as the revocation or shortening of their permits and passes to stay and work in Singapore.