Another 4 charged over rioting in Singapore\'s Little India

Another 4 persons, all Indian nationals, were charged on Thursday over rioting on Sunday night in Singapore's Little India, increasing the total accused persons to 31. Three of the four suspects were accused of having thrown concrete at police officers, while the other man was said to have damaged the private bus, which knocked down the deceased Indian worker, by using dustbin, wooden stick, hardened concrete, bottles and metal drain cover with five others. The latter one was also accused of having overturned and set a police vehicle on fire during the chaos. The four persons all face one count of rioting. If convicted, they each face the maximum punishment of seven years in jail and caning. The case will be mentioned again on Dec. 19. The police said earlier on Thursday morning that they had arrested 5 subjects as of 6:00 a.m. on Thursday. Among them, one was still under investigation. The riot involving some 400 South Asian workers broke out on Sunday evening after a fatal traffic accident in which a worker from India was knocked down by a private bus in Little India, a district known for its distinctive Indian culture. The deceased Indian worker has been sent back and buried in his hometown. After the chaos, the Singapore authorities said they would establish a committee of inquiry by the end of this week to investigate the cause of the rare riot. The government also introduced a complete ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol this coming weekend in the Race Course Road area, where the riot broke out. The suspension of alcohol sales and consumption will affect some 374 stakeholders and establishments in Little India and the surrounding vicinity. Meanwhile, more closed circuit television were also installed in that area. It was the biggest riot in Singapore in some 40 years, as the city state has been known as one of the safest cities. A total of 22 police officers, 12 Singapore Civil Defense Force officers and five auxiliary police officers were injured in the incident.