A 37-year-old construction worker, Ramu Chinnarasa, defecated on the floor of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) after a night of heavy drinking. The incident occurred on October 29, 2023, when Ramu, an Indian national on a work permit in Singapore, was unable to find a toilet due to his intoxicated state. He was later fined S$400 for his actions.
Background
Ramu Chinnarasa had consumed three bottles of hard liquor before entering the MBS casino at around 3:48 am. After gambling for nearly two hours, he left the casino at 5:17 am and, unable to locate a toilet, squatted and defecated on the floor next to a Japanese restaurant at the entrance of The Shoppes at MBS. The area was accessible to the public and not intended for sanitary use, as noted by the prosecutor.
Didn’t tell anyone
Court documents revealed that Ramu did not inform anyone about his actions or clean up the faeces. Instead, he lay on a stone bench outside MBS until 11 am, feeling giddy, before returning to his dormitory in Kranji. By then, footage of his actions had already begun circulating online.
Arrested when trying to re-enter casino
At around 4:33 pm, a member of the MBS security team discovered a video of the incident on Facebook and alerted his supervisor. After confirming the footage via CCTV, a police report was lodged that night. Ramu left Singapore on October 31, 2023, but returned later. On June 4, he attempted to re-enter the MBS casino but was stopped by security, who identified him as an “undesirable guest.” He was arrested by the police that afternoon.
‘Don’t do this in public’: Judge
The prosecution requested a fine of between S$400 to S$500, highlighting that Ramu had defecated in public for about 10 minutes and did not clean up after himself or inform anyone. The prosecution added that if the offence had not been filmed and discovered by MBS security, the faeces could have remained in the open for an extended period in a busy public shopping mall. “The damage to public cleanliness is significant in the present case,” they stated.
Ramu appeared in court on September 19 and pleaded guilty to one count of defecating in a public place. He pleaded for leniency, requesting the lowest possible fine. The judge responded, “Do you know how to get a low fine? Don’t do this in public. Better still, don’t get yourself so drunk that this happens.” Ramu was eventually sentenced to a S$400 fine.
Public reaction and future implications
The incident has sparked outrage among the public, with many expressing disgust over the act. MBS has stated that it is aware of the incident and is looking into it. This case highlights the importance of responsible drinking and the need for adequate public facilities to prevent such occurrences in the future. The incident also underscores the role of social media in bringing such actions to light and ensuring accountability.
