Charges against 3 persons withdrawn over riot in Singapore's Little India

The charges against three persons, all Indian nationals, were withdrawn on Monday, leaving the total number of the alleged rioters to 25. "The police have completed their further investigations against these 3 accused persons during the remand period and thereafter made their recommendations to AGC. After considering all the available evidence as well as the police recommendations, AGC exercised its prosecutorial discretion to withdraw the charges and for a discharge amounting to an acquittal to be granted to the 3 accused persons," the city-state's Attorney-General's Chambers' ( AGC spokesman said in a statement. Each of the accused 25 person currently faces one charge of rioting. During the hearing on Monday, the prosecutor sought for bail not to be granted for the 25 suspects, citing reasons like public safety concerns and re-offending. The court still granted bail to the defendants at 20,000 Singapore dollars (15,798 U.S. dollars) with one insurer or 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,899 U.S. dollars) with two guarantors. Besides, the accused must report to the authorities every week and are banned to visit areas in Little India covered by the alcohol ban while they are on bail. The suspects will be mentioned again on Friday. The Singapore authorities had already repatriated 57 Indian nationals, who were identified by the police that they had participated in the riot and failed to disperse despite police's orders to do so. The riot involving some 400 South Asian workers was triggered by a fatal traffic accident in which a worker from India was knocked down by a private bus at Little India. A total of 22 police officers, 12 Singapore Civil Defense Force officers and five auxiliary police officers were injured in the incident. It was the biggest riot in Singapore in some 40 years, as the city state has been known as one of the safest cities.