SINGAPORE, Dec 5 — A 50-year-old former SMRT cleaner who tried to molest a woman on the bus was jailed for 10 weeks yesterday.

Kajayendran Krishnan pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force in order to outrage the 44-year-old Malaysian national’s modesty, as well as one charge of uttering words to insult her modesty.

Another similar charge was considered for sentencing.

This is not the first time that the Singapore permanent resident has run into trouble with the law.

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He was fined in 2013, and jailed in 2015, both times for disorderly behaviour.

The court heard that on May 7 this year, the victim — who cannot be named to protect her identity — boarded the Causeway Link Bus Service CW6 from Boon Lay towards Tuas Checkpoint.

A few minutes later, Kajayendran boarded the same bus and sat next to her.

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As the bus travelled along Boon Lay Way, he used his hand to caress her right arm.

She moved it away, shifted towards the window and asked him to stop touching her, but he continued to do so.

He then uttered some vulgar words in Hokkien and Tamil, including a Tamil word meaning “hot chick”.

The victim stood up and tried to get away from him, but he used his legs to block her path and trap her.

He then caressed and grabbed her arm.

When the bus arrived at Tuas Checkpoint, she approached an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer to report the matter.

In his mitigation plea, Kajayendan — who was unrepresented — said he had lost his job with SMRT after being charged with these offences.

He added that he wished to apologise to the victim, and claimed he had some personal problems, and was drunk at the time.

District Judge Mathew Joseph rubbished his claims that he was remorseful for his actions.

“You were trying to wiggle your way out of taking responsibility… firstly, by saying you were standing up (in the bus), then secondly, when the DPP (deputy public prosecutor) said he had footage of the incident, you said the touch was accidental,” he told Kajayendran.

The judge also said that no female passenger “should have to look around her to see if anyone, standing or sitting, will molest her on the bus”.

“Next time you’re drunk, I suggest you walk home,” he added.

Kajayendran’s sentence was backdated to his date of remand, September 27, which means he will be released tomorrow.

For using criminal force with the intention to outrage his victim’s modesty, he could have been jailed up to two years, fined, and/or caned.

For uttering words intended to insult her modesty, he could have been jailed up to one year and/or fined. — TODAY