An Indian businessman who stole luxury items worth more than SGD 5,000 from shops in Changi Airport and Jewel has been sentenced to four weeks in jail in Singapore.
The man, identified as 38-year-old Hemant Mahendrakumar Bhansali, was in transit from New Delhi to Qingdao on May 28 when he committed the thefts.
Between 5.15 pm and 1.45 am, during his layover, he took products including perfumes, make-up and bags from at least 12 stores spread across three airport terminals and Jewel.
Court records showed that he stole items worth a total of SGD 5,136, including SGD 1,228 worth of make-up products from a Guardian outlet in Terminal 3’s departure transit hall.
The thefts were captured by security cameras installed in the shops. On June 1, when Hemant passed through Singapore again while travelling back to New Delhi from Qingdao, he was arrested at the airport.
The police also recovered all the stolen products and found additional jewellery and cosmetics valued at more than SGD 928, for which he could not give a satisfactory explanation.
Hemant later pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, while nine other theft charges and one charge of fraudulent possession of property were considered during sentencing.
His lawyer told the court that Hemant had been travelling frequently between India and China for business and had sought psychiatric treatment after his arrest. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and reported to have acted under depression and alcohol influence at the time of the thefts.
The court sentenced him to four weeks’ imprisonment on September 15. Under Singapore law, each count of theft can attract a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
