Singapore: Indian-Origin Man Put to Death In Drug Trafficking Case

SINGAPORE: After being found guilty of narcotics trafficking, a 46-year-old man of Indian descent was killed in Singapore on Wednesday.

The man has been identified as Tangaraju Suppiah.

Suppiah was executed for aiding the trafficking of more than 1 kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of marijuana in 2013 despite several pleadings for mercy from his family and activists.

The trafficking of more than 500 grammes of drugs is a criminal offence in Singapore, which is renowned for its strong stance against drugs.

Kokila Annamalai, a representative for Suppiah's family, confirmed the execution and said that the president had turned down requests for mercy.

Richard Branson, an outspoken opponent of the death penalty and a British billionaire, claimed that Suppiah's conviction did not meet the requirements for a criminal conviction because he was not in the vicinity of the narcotics when he was detained. The Singaporean government has not yet commented on the execution.

Branson's accusations were rejected by the Singaporean government as false and an insult to the country's legal system.

The government emphasised that Branson's assertion was false and that the issue had been thoroughly scrutinised by Singapore's courts over a three-year period.

Tangaraju Suppiah's story has been extensively discussed by British billionaire Richard Branson and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani. Additionally, the UN High Commissioner had pleaded with the administration to look into his situation and "fully respect the most fundamental of human rights - the right to life." Suppiah's conviction in the case, in Richard Branson's opinion, did not adhere to the rules. However, the Singaporean authorities denied the accusations, claiming that the billionaire's comment "disrespects" the country's legal system.

Furthermore, the United Nations Office for Human Rights asked Singapore to put a formal moratorium on executions for drug-related offences and urged the city-state not to carry out Suppiah's scheduled execution.

Eleven people have been put to death in Singapore in the last year, and the country's inhabitants largely approve of its use as a drug-related deterrent.

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