An Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, Ankit Sharma, 46, was sentenced on Monday to four years in prison and six strokes of the cane. The court found him guilty of molesting a woman at Changi City Point mall.
Sharma had dragged a 31-year-old technology recruiter into a nursing room on March 1, 2023, where he kissed her forcefully and made repeated sexual advances despite her resistance. The victim had met Sharma for the first time that evening after a colleague shared his profile.
Sharma denied the charges, claiming the woman consented and suggested going to the nursing room. The defence argued the encounter was voluntary but escalated after a remark about her breath. The court rejected this and described Sharma’s actions as “extremely high” in sexual exploitation.
The prosecution sought a sentence of at least four years and six strokes, which was accepted by the court. Sharma faced between two and ten years of imprisonment along with caning. His lawyer had requested a lighter sentence of three to three-and-a-half years with fewer strokes.
