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Caleb Joshua Chai Shanmugam has been remanded for psychiatric observation.
Prosecution has no objections to him meeting his wife
The 50-year-old is accused of murdering a 27-year-old woman, Rachael Ang Qing Ying.
He appeared in court via video link.
He was in a red polo t-shirt, and wore glasses, along with a blue surgical face mask.
He is represented by lawyers Sophia Ng and Suang Wijaya from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP.
Ng told the court the prosecution had no objections to him seeing his seeing wife or defence counsel.
When the police prosecutor said this arrangement had not been made known to him, Ng said that the prosecution had informed her in a text message the day before.
The police prosecutor then asked Ng to check with the assigned deputy public prosecutor prior to seeing Chai Shanmugam.
Before the hearing concluded, Chai Shanmugam began to ask a question, saying, "I just want to clarify something right here... My wife is the one who made the police report, saying whatever I've done..."
However, he was cut off by Ng before he could finish.
Previously requested family visit
Chai Shanmugam had requested a "family visit" at his previous court appearance on Dec. 2, asking the judge to let him speak to his wife.
The judge however said family visits are not allowed during remand, and added that Chai Shanmugam can speak to his investigation officer regarding requests for visits.
Chai Shanmugam is scheduled to appear in court next on Dec. 30.
Background
Mothership understands that Chai Shanmugam and the deceased were business partners.
Their company was named Smart Click Business Services Private Limited.
Ang became uncontactable at around 7:22pm on Nov. 9 and failed to return home that same night.
Her family members reported her disappearance to the police on Nov. 10 evening.
On Nov. 13, Ang was found dead by police officers in a shop located at Block 2 Beach Road, #01-4797.
She and Chai Shanmugam were in the midst of opening a hardware shop with the same name as their company at that location.
Court documents state that the alleged murder took place at around 6:58pm on Nov. 9, 2022.
Chai Shanmugam was identified in connection to the case, but had left for Malaysia in the morning of Nov. 10, 2022.
He was arrested in Malaysia on Nov. 16, 2022 and handed over to the Singapore Police Force on the same day.
He was charged with the alleged murder of Ang on Nov. 18, two days after he was taken into custody.
Top image courtesy of Singapore Police Force and from Smart Click Services Pte Ltd/Facebook