SINGAPORE. MAN TO HANG FOR MURDER AFTER LOSING APPEAL

Vijayakumar Veeriah, a 24 year old man convicted of stabbing a close friend to death in Bukit Batok, Singapore, was due to hang after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction for murdering Suthagar Raja Ram Thomas, 24, at their rented flat in September 2004. It also dismissed his appeal against the death sentence imposed in September 2005. Vijayakumar had claimed that on the night of the killing, he got into an argument with Suthagar after the latter asked him in a 'bad manner' why he had not paid a sum of $1,000 to his girlfriend. He had moved in with the couple and had not contributed towards the $600 monthly rental although he had volunteered to do so. However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Christina Koh told the appeals court that forensic evidence indicated Suthagar was taken by surprise as no defensive injuries were found on him. Three of the four stab wounds were inflicted on Suthagar's back, and two of these were fatal.