'Bar Owner Sentenced for Rape of Runaway Teen'

Indian-origin Singaporean bar owner Raj Kumar Bala has been sentenced to 13 years in jail and nine strokes of the cane for raping a 17-year-old runaway girl. He was convicted of rape and molestation, and also faces 22 additional charges related to sex offences involving other victims.

Indian-origin Singaporean bar owner Raj Kumar Bala, 42, has been sentenced to 13 years and four weeks in jail, along with nine strokes of the cane, for raping a 17-year-old runaway girl who he allowed to work at his bar.

Bala was convicted of charges including rape and molestation. He pleaded guilty to an additional charge of harboring a runaway under the Children and Young Persons Act, Channel News Asia reported.

Bala's victims included a 17-year-old girl who ran away from the Singapore Girls' Home in February 2020 and later found work at Bala's Don Bar and Bistro in Little India. Police raided the bar on February 22, 2020, leading to further horrific revelations and Bala's subsequent charges.

(With inputs from agencies.)