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Bojanki Suresh Naidu, 37, and Bharati Tulshiram Choudhari, 48, were both sentenced to jail for three weeks on August 17 for breaching their Stay-Home Notices (SHN).

Both pleaded guilty to the offence, while another charge for Suresh was taken into consideration for not wearing a mask.

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the two of them are Singapore Permanent Residents who had flown in from India on March 14 on the same flight. They did not know each other before the flight.

Both were conveyed to stay on the same floor at Oasia Hotel Novena, and were informed not to leave their hotel rooms or accept any visitors for the 14 day SHN duration.

Meeting up

The two first spoke on the hotel phone when Suresh dialled the phone number of Bharati’s hotel room, where they exchanged phone numbers.

A week into their SHN on March 20, just past midnight, Suresh left his room without wearing a mask and Bharati opened her door to let him in.

According to them, the plan was for Suresh to collect snacks from Bharati and for them to chat.

Suresh stayed in the room for half an hour, between 12:30am and 1:02am, and realised that he was locked out of his room when he tried to return.

He then returned to Bharati's room for about five minutes, before waiting outside his room while calling the hotel staff for help using his mobile phone.

Lying about the meet up

A security officer came by to unlock his room and questioned how he was locked out of his own room.

Suresh lied to the officer that he had difficulty breathing, and he left the room to get some fresh air.

The officer unlocked the door for him, and the matter was referred to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for further investigation.

When questioned by the investigating officer, the two also lied to downplay their culpability, and tried to portray their meeting as accidental.

Suresh lied that he had consumed two cans of beer on March 20, and was beginning to feel suffocated while being confined to his hotel room.

He claimed to have left the room to walk along the corridor for some fresh air before he realised he had been locked out. He then knocked on Bharati's door for help.

Bharati similarly affirmed to only letting him in when he knocked, and that he told her he was feeling suffocated and panicky while requesting for her assistance.

But further investigation revealed security camera footage from the hotel corridor which caught them opening their doors at the same time, suggesting that the meet up was prearranged.

Both apologised for breaking the rule

Both individuals have been residents in Singapore for more than a decade.

In court, Bharati apologised for making a mistake, which has brought embarrassment to her family, according to CNA.

Suresh also apologised and said that he is a responsible citizen who had volunteered at a community club for seven years.

Suresh, who has a wife and two kids, said that he was not in a relationship with Bharati. He claimed to be very tired and hungry that day, and Bharati wanted to help him out by offering food.

According to the prosecution, this was at the height of India's second wave Covid-19 infections, where the more transmissible Delta variant was first reported.

Given that the offences were premeditated and committed for "an entirely frivolous reason", with both accused persons trying to cover up their offences, limited weight should be placed on their pleas of guilt as a sign of remorse.

For breaching SHNs, first time offenders can face punishment comprising a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.

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Top image via Oasia Hotel Novena.