SINGAPORE: Suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam, the third and final person to be convicted over the fatal abuse of a domestic worker, had his jail sentence raised from 10 years to 11½ years on Friday (July 31).
The victim, 24-year-old Myanmar national Piang Ngaih Don, weighed a mere 24kg when she died on July 26, 2016.
Chelvam’s sentence was increased after the High Court allowed the prosecution’s appeal against his sentence for one of the four charges he was convicted of.
He was sentenced by a district judge to 10 years’ jail in July 2025 after he was found guilty of four charges for his involvement in one of Singapore’s worst fatal domestic helper abuse cases.
Chelvam’s former wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2021, the longest jail term meted out here in such cases.
She had pleaded guilty to 28 charges, including one of culpable homicide. Another 87 charges were considered during sentencing.
Her mother, Prema S. Naraynasamy, was sentenced to 14 years’ jail in 2023 after pleading guilty to 48 domestic helper abuse charges.
Prema was given three more years’ jail in June that year for instigating Chelvam to dismantle the CCTV recorder in the Bishan flat, bringing the total to 17 years.
Unlike the two women, who pleaded guilty to their charges, Chelvam claimed trial.
He was eventually convicted of one count of abetting Gaiyathiri to cause grievous hurt to the victim by starving the helper, and one count of causing hurt to the victim by grabbing her hair and lifting her off the ground.
Chelvam was also convicted of one count of causing evidence to disappear by dismantling the CCTV recorder, and one count of lying to an investigating officer.
On July 31, the prosecution appealed against the one-year jail term handed down to Chelvam for the charge of causing hurt.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Koh argued that the district judge was wrong to have pegged this as a case where less serious physical and psychological harm was caused.
The prosecutor argued that Chelvam was just as culpable as Prema, who had also assaulted the victim in the same incident.
Prema was given two years’ jail on this charge, which took into account a sentencing discount for her guilty plea.
Justice See Kee Oon agreed that the original one-year term for the hurt charge was manifestly inadequate, and increased it to 2½ years.
Chelvam had also appealed against his conviction and sentence on the other charges.
His lawyer, Ramesh Tiwary, argued that Chelvam did not know the extent to which the helper was deprived of food.
Tiwary also argued that Prema had pestered Chelvam to disconnect the CCTV recorder, and that there was no evidence his client knew she intended to get rid of the footage.
The prosecutor countered that it was Chelvam’s duty as the domestic worker’s registered employer to provide her with sufficient food.
She said Chelvam knew that Gaiyathiri was withholding food and yet he did nothing to stop it.
The judge said he was not persuaded that there was merit in Chelvam’s appeal against conviction, and did not think the sentences were manifestly excessive.
He allowed Chelvam to start his sentence on Aug 7, after Tiwary said his client would like to spend some time with his daughter.
Chelvam and Gaiyathiri divorced in 2020. He has been suspended from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) since August 2016.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, SPF said on July 31 that it commenced internal action against Chelvam following his conviction in April 2025.
SPF said its officers are expected to uphold the law and maintain high standards of discipline and integrity. Those who break the law will be dealt with severely, it added.
Piang Ngaih Don started working for the family on May 28, 2015.
Gaiyathiri started physically abusing the victim from October 2015 onwards. From May 2016, Prema joined in the abuse.
CCTV cameras installed in the flat recorded 35 days’ worth of footage, which showed the victim burned with a heated iron, choked, shaken violently, punched, kicked and stomped on.
The victim was beaten almost daily. She was deprived of food and rest, and made to shower and relieve herself with the toilet door open.
On the night of July 25, 2016, the helper was assaulted by Gaiyathiri and Prema for being too slow in doing laundry. Early the next morning, Gaiyathiri continued to assault the helper and choke her.
A few hours later, the helper was pronounced dead by a doctor.
Following the case, the Government reviewed three key areas to ensure better protection for foreign domestic workers. The three areas are safeguards against abusive employers, the reporting system for doctors, and the involvement of community and partner organisations.
The Manpower Ministry also started a house visit scheme in April 2021 to check in on domestic workers. - The Straits Times/ANN
