(Image source from: The Straits Times)

On November 3, 2017, a grenade outside Singapore’s Istana, the Presidential Palace in the city center, triggered panic leading to the high deployment of public resources which later found to be a toy one positioned by an Indian origin cleaner.

On Wednesday, the 59-year-old Elankovan Marimuthu was fined S$ 4,500 and was reduced the charge from a more serious one.

Marimuthu chanced upon the toy grenade while working as a cleaner near the Istana area as usual at about 7 a.m. on November 3, 2017. He positioned it upright to get to know how the general public would react to it.

The cleaner used a pair of tongs to put up the toy grenade before leaving the scene, Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran said.

                        (Image source from: Hindustan Times)

One of the motorists passing by from there noticed the grenade and called police immediately. In no time, thirty-nine officers were deployed to the site from various units of the Singapore Police Force, plus eight members of the Singapore Armed Forces Chemical, Radiological, Biological, and Explosive Defence Group and other police officers who swept the Istana's nearby areas, including Dhoby Ghaut Mass Rapid Transit (metro rail) station.

The grenade was found at Penang Lane, one of the routes to the Central Business District. The route was closed for half an hour and partially cordoned off to traffic for 45 minutes, while police advisories were circulated to advise the public to stay away from the area.

Subsequently, several phone calls were made to the police Servicenummer complaining of traffic congestion in the area. Anyhow, at around 5 p.m., it became clear that it was a toy grenade and Penang Lane was subsequently opened again. In the beginning, it was not known who placed the toy, according to the Channel News Asia report.

Closed-circuit television footage confirmed that Elankovan had put the toy grenade in an upright manner. He was asked to cooperate in investigations the following morning when he went to Istana Park as part of the duty. He confessed that he had positioned the toy and did so because he wanted to see how the public would respond to it, the report said.

Elankovan pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act of using intimidating behavior by positioning the toy grenade in an upright position, behavior likely to cause dismay.

The prosecution asked for a fine of 4,500 Singapore dollars, saying it was not unreasonable to characterize Elankovan's behavior as "irresponsible" in today's security climate.

The area was full of sightseers and it was next to the Istana. On top of that, his act wasted public resources and resulted in inconvenience to the general public.

"The public messaging today is that everything suspicious should be reported to the authorities," said the prosecutor, adding that Elankovan had not reported it when he first saw the object.

"He turned it into his own little game," said the prosecutor. "He wanted to see how the public would react."

“The fine would send a message that such conduct is unacceptable and that it is not a joke nor a game, but has serious consequences,” he said. Defense lawyer Rajan Supramaniam told the court that his client was not highly educated and wishes to close this "unfortunate chapter" in his life.

"Our client has truly learned a hard and bitter lesson as a result of his foolish and wrongful actions," said the lawyer, asking for leniency.

“It was fortunate that the prosecution had reduced the charge from a more serious one under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations, which carries maximum penalties of 10 years' jail, a 500,000 dollars fine, or both,” said District Judge May Mesenas.

"Hopefully this is a lesson learned for you, not to be taken lightly," said the judge. "After this incident, look at what happened."

By Sowmya Sangam