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Two Singapore permanent residents (PRs) are facing charges under the Infectious Diseases Act after one left his Stay-Home Notice (SHN) room to visit the other in her room.

Suresh Naidu Bojanki, 37, and Bharati Tulshiram Choudhari, 47, will be charged in court on Friday (Jul. 2) for breaching their SHN requirements.

Met on flight to Singapore

According to an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority press release on Jul. 2, Suresh and Bharati met when they were on the same flight to Singapore on Mar. 14, 2021.

Upon arriving in Singapore, they were each given a 14-day SHN and informed by ICA officers that they were not allowed to leave their individual rooms in the dedicated facility for the duration of their SHN, nor were they allowed to have visitors.

Suresh and Bharati were conveyed to the same dedicated SHN facility and assigned different rooms in which to serve their respective SHNs.

On Mar. 20, Suresh allegedly left his room and entered Bharati's room at around 12:30am. He was also allegedly not wearing a face mask when he did so.

According to ICA, he allegedly remained in Bharati's room for more than half an hour.

Could face fine of up to S$10,000 and/or six months' imprisonment

Suresh and Bharati will both be charged in court under Section 21A of the Infectious Diseases Act for engaging in a conspiracy for Suresh to breach a term of his SHN, and thus exposing others to the risk of infection.

Suresh also faces an additional an additional charge under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 for failing to wear a mask.

First-time offenders prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act or the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 could face punishment comprising a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.

In addition, foreigners may face further administrative actions by ICA and/or the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), such as revoking or shortening the validity of permits and passes to remain or work in Singapore.

"To safeguard our community’s health and safety, everyone needs to play their part and comply with the SHN requirements if they are subject to one," wrote ICA.

The press release added that members of the public can report information about anyone who fails to comply with their SHN requirements to ICA online or by calling 6812 5555.

Top photo by Matthias Ang.