Traffic Police Officer Gets 10 Years' Jail Over Role in Fatal Abuse of Myanmar Maid

Suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam was sentenced to 10 years' jail on July 17 over his involvement in one of Singapore's worst fatal maid abuse cases.

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

After a trial in April, District Judge Teoh Ai Lin convicted the 46-year-old Traffic Police officer of one count of abetting his then-wife Gaiyathiri Murugayan to voluntarily cause grievous hurt by starving Ms Piang Ngaih Don, 24.

Chelvam, who was the maid's registered employer, was also convicted of one count of voluntarily causing hurt by grabbing her hair and lifting her off the ground.

The judge also convicted him of one count each of giving false information to a police officer, and causing evidence relating to the case to disappear by dismantling a CCTV recorder installed in his Bishan flat.

On July 17, Chelvam was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal for his fifth and final charge – one count of using criminal force on Ms Piang Ngaih Don. This means he cannot be charged again over the same offence.

Before sentencing him, Judge Teoh stressed that the CCTV footage was a most crucial piece of evidence and Chelvam, as a police officer, was aware of its value.

The judge added that if the CCTV recorder had not been recovered, Ms Piang Ngaih Don could have "taken to her grave" what happened to her during the last days of her life.

Judge Teoh also noted that as the maid's legal employer, Chelvam was obligated to ensure that the victim received sufficient food and rest.

She said that he should have stopped the acts of abuse perpetrated by Gaiyathiri and her mother. However, he also assaulted Ms Piang Ngaih Don while the two women were abusing her.

The judge added: "(His) actions in joining the assault were dehumanising."