Legha Pawan, 22, received a jail sentence of two years and 11 months on 16 Jul 2025 for pushing construction worker Jasbir Singh into the Singapore River.
The incident occurred on 30 Jun 2024 along the Singapore River in front of Clarke Quay Central shopping mall.
Singh, 33, drowned after falling backwards into the river. He never resurfaced after Legha pushed him once in the chest with both hands.
Both men were Indian nationals. Singh was married with two young children and worked as a construction worker in Singapore. Legha was studying at the private educational institution Birmingham Academy.
Drunken Altercation Leads to Fatal Push at Clarke Quay
The evening began with Legha and five housemates drinking beer and eating snacks on the riverside steps. Other acquaintances joined them as they sat talking.
Legha had consumed two cans of “Anchor Strong” beer and was intoxicated. Before 10pm, an argument erupted within the group. Legha angrily pulled the hair of one woman in the group. His housemate pulled him away, and the group quickly dispersed.
Around 10 minutes later, Singh walked along the river. He had been drinking heavily for months after his mother’s death and was intoxicated that night. He appeared very drunk and was hugging a lamppost.
At approximately 10:13pm, Legha returned alone to the spot where he and his friends had been. He approached Singh, though they did not know each other.
A nearby couple watched the interaction unfold. They had witnessed Legha’s earlier violent display with the woman.
Initially, Legha spoke quietly to Singh. Singh stood near the edge of the river with his back turned towards the waters, facing Legha.
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Legha pushed Singh once in the chest with both hands. Singh fell backwards off the edge, rolled down the steps, and plunged into the Singapore River.
Rescue Efforts and Police Investigation After Singapore River Drowning
The couple who witnessed the incident immediately shouted for help. When Singh did not resurface, they called police, reporting: “A drunk man pushed another drunk man into the river and he is running away.”
Legha fled the scene immediately after the push. He removed his collared shirt and discarded it along the pavement to avoid police identification.
He took the train back to his flat and called a housemate to bring his backpack to a neighbouring block. The housemate, unaware of what had happened, complied.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team began searching for Singh at 10:35pm. A four-man diving team of DART officers was dispatched to the scene.
They recovered Singh’s lifeless body from the bottom of the river at 2am the next day.
Singh was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed he had drowned, with his lungs filled with water. He suffered multiple lacerations and bruises from the fall, including injuries to the back of his head, neck, and right eye.
At around 8am on 1 Jul 2024, Legha returned to his flat and was promptly arrested by police.
During investigations, Legha claimed Singh had first grabbed and damaged his bangle and hurled vulgarities about his mother in Hindi. Police investigations found no objective evidence supporting his claim.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin pointed out that regardless, Legha could have walked away from Singh. She described his actions as “disproportionate and unwarranted.”
The prosecutor sought 36 to 40 months’ jail, comparing Legha’s case to Jason Ong Bing Qi, who received three years and six months’ jail in March 2024 for swinging his drunken friend to the ground outside a club, causing a fatal head injury.
Defence lawyer Simran Kaur Sandhu argued in mitigation that no weapon was used and the push did not target vulnerable parts of Singh’s body. She said Legha regretted his decision.
District Judge Janet Wang called it a tragic case that robbed a struggling young family of its sole breadwinner. She said Legha had attacked a vulnerable victim he knew he could bully, using Singh as an outlet for his frustrations with his friend group.
“Even if the deceased did damage (Legha’s) bangle and uttered vulgarities – both of which were not established – the accused’s actions were way in excess of proportion,” Judge Wang stated.
Legha pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt which causes grievous hurt. Another charge of using criminal force on a woman the same night was taken into consideration for sentencing.
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