SINGAPORE — Two more Indian nationals aged 35 and 41 were charged this afternoon (Dec 17) for participating in the Little India riot two Sundays ago.

To date, a total of 35 men, all Indian nationals aged between 22 and 45, have been charged for rioting in relation to the incident on Dec 8.

Of the 35, seven have had their charges withdrawn amounting to an acquittal.

If found guilty of rioting, the men could be jailed for up to seven years and be caned.

The riot occurred in the late evening of Dec 8. It was triggered by a road traffic incident at the turn of Race Course Road, involving Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu. The 33-year-old construction worker, whom police said was drunk, had stumbled into the path of a moving bus that was scheduled to ferry him and other workers back to their dormitories.

Soon after, a mob of 400 men gathered around the scene and some pelted police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force with projectiles like bottles and hardened cement while they worked to extricate the body from the bus’ left rear tyre.

The riot is the first in Singapore in 40 years.