Court hears forensics testimony, views accident video footage

[SINGAPORE] The Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the Little India riot started yesterday, with 117 witnesses slated to take the stand at the inquiry which could span up to six weeks.

Sparked by a road accident which claimed the life of Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, the riot saw some of the worst violence in the city-state in more than 40 years. Fifty- four officers were injured and more than $650,000 worth of damage was inflicted on government vehicles and equipment.

In his opening statement yesterday at the Subordinate Courts, Senior State Counsel David Khoo sketched out the timeline of the inquiry, which will look into how the riot erupted and how it was managed by responding ground forces as well as the circumstances which led to the riot. The COI will also examine whether existing measures to tackle such incidents in areas where foreign workers congregate - with Geylang being flagged as another area of concern - are sufficient.