Three Indian-origin electrical technicians were fined for attempting to steal electric cable from their assigned place of work at a Singapore police department while another person handling live wire was electrocuted in 2020.

Murugan Kothalam, 27, was electrocuted to death while handling the cables.

Technicians Ezhilarasan Nagarajan, 26, and Radhakrishnan Elavarasan, 28, were fined Singapore dollars 1,000, while Balasubramaniyan Nivas, 29, was fined Singapore dollars 1,500.

All three of them had pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted theft.

Deputy Public Prosecutor V Jesudevan told the court that Elavarasan and Nivas, working for Alltech Systems, arrived at Police National Service Department building around 10.30 am on October 15, 2020.

The duo were instructed by their supervisor to pass the other two men a wrench needed to remove the hose reel box. Nivas and Elavarsan had planned to cut loose the cables and sell them.

Nagarajan and Elavarasan bundled the cables and went to the main building to remove the hose reel. Later, Nivas heard a crashing sound and discovered Kothalam standing on a ladder which was shaking.

Suspecting that Kothalam had been electrocuted, Nivas kicked the ladder and he fell on the ground.

In court on Monday, the lawyers representing each offender asked the judge for a low fine citing the modest means of their clients, according to a media report.

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