137:, man was stabbed by another person and died. Identified as 21-year-old Arumugam Jayamani (alias Beatles Rajah), the victim was found to have suffered a stab wounds to the chest, and the detectives could not find the murder weapon from nearby the scene of crime; while the motive of the murder was yet to be established, the police interviewed several people around the area for witnesses. An autopsy report revealed that Arumugam was stabbed twice, once on the chest and another on the back, and the knife wound to the chest had penetrated his heart and this resulted in Arumugam's death.
169:
self-defence, if
Arumugam still did not accept his apology and assault him. Chelliah also said he wanted to use the knife to cause only minor hurt but nothing else. Chelliah added that when Arumugam caught sight of Chelliah, he wanted to raise a bottle to hit Chelliah and thus, Chelliah stabbed him to stop him from wielding the bottle, and he stabbed Arumugam after the victim tried to use a wooden stool to attack him, and he fled after the victim was stabbed a second time.
165:
were no direct witnesses to the stabbing, the sabarat stallholder Yusof
Maideen testified that he heard no commotion happening in front of his stall and only heard Arumugam crying for help as he was preparing some drinks, and witnessed Arumugam clutching his injury and staggered before he collapsed. Haridass Kutan Pillai, a friend of Chelliah, also testified in court that Chelliah had confessed to stabbing Arumugam to death when he met him the night after the stabbing.
203:, Justice Tan Ah Tah and Justice F A Chua (Frederick Arthur Chua). Without calling for the prosecution's reply, the three judges dismissed Chelliah's appeal and rejected Anandan's arguments. Like the trial judges, the appellate court agreed that Chelliah possessed the clear intention to cause death, or at least any bodily injury(s) that was sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death when he fatally stabbed Arumugam.
251:. Addressing Chelliah by his nickname “Tampines Rajah” (which Anandan spelt as Tampines Raja), Anandan wrote about his experiences of defending Chelliah (who was Anandan's acquaintance), stating that he was saddened at the verdict of death and had gotten drunk that same night after the trial, and he also wrote that during his incarceration on death row, Chelliah, who was born a
173:
to apologize with
Arumugam and brought the knife along for the purpose of causing minor harm, and the two judges felt that Chelliah's decision to bring the knife was corroborative of the fact that he had intended to cause Arumugam's death, and it was not for self-defence like Chelliah claimed. Therefore, 21-year-old Chelliah Silvanathan was found guilty of murder and
121:, and as a result of the stabbing, Arumugam died and Chelliah was charged with murder. It was revealed that Chelliah had stabbed Arumugam over a supposed gambling affair; both Chelliah and Arumugam belonged to the same gang society known as Hai Lok San (or 108 gang). Chelliah was found guilty of murdering Arumugam and
172:
On 21 September 1973, the verdict was delivered by
Justice Kulasekaram and Justice Winslow, the latter who pronounced the decision in court. In the verdict, the judges found that Chelliah had the intent to murder Arumugam when he stabbed him, and they also rejected his defence that he only went there
164:
The trial court heard that prior to the stabbing, Arumugam and
Chelliah had an argument over a gambling affair, and this led to Chelliah going after Arumugam with a knife and stabbed him to death in front of the sabarat stall, where Arumugam was having a meal at the time he was attacked. Though there
168:
In court, Chelliah gave a defence that he never meant to kill
Arumugam. He testified that after he heard Arumugam saying he would go after him over the past quarrel, Chelliah decided to go to the stall at Enggor Street to apologize to Arumugam, and only brought the knife just in case for the sake of
140:
On 14 November 1972, a 21-year-old suspect was arrested for killing
Arumugam a month before. The suspect, identified as Chelliah Silvanathan (alias Tampines Rajah), was charged with murder the next day. Both Chelliah and Arumugam belonged to the same gang society known as Hai Lok San (or 108 gang).
259:
and expressed remorse for killing
Arumugam (whom Anandan also addressed by his nickname as well) and that he was grateful to Anandan for defending him. He encouraged Anandan to continue defending other people and be a dedicated and good lawyer during Anandan's final visit to prison before Chelliah
263:
Chelliah's case was
Anandan's first murder case during his early years as a lawyer, and although he lost the case and it ended with Chelliah hanged for the murder, it made an impact on his legal career as Anandan would manage over 1,500 criminal cases (including murder, rape and drug trafficking)
264:
through his 45-year-long legal career, until he died from a heart attack in
January 2015, and Anandan became renowned for his representation of suspects charged in high-profile murder cases, including infamous wife-killer
177:. Chelliah was reportedly calm when the sentence was passed, but his father was devastated after hearing the verdict and reportedly knelt down in front of his son's lawyer in court and pleaded to see his son.
153:
for the murder of Arumugam Jayamani. During the trial, which was presided by Justice T Kulasekaram and Justice A V Winslow, Chelliah was represented by criminal lawyer
228:
declined to pardon Chelliah, and hence turned down Chelliah's clemency appeal, which thus finalized Chelliah's death sentence and he was set to hang in a week's time.
829:
885:
184:
awaiting their executions, and by 5 October 1974, the number was reduced to 15, with Chelliah included in the list of death row prisoners released that month.
214:
for a review of his case. However, the Privy Council refused to grant Chelliah's motion and hence Chelliah lost his final court bid to escape the gallows.
917:
935:
867:
979:
974:
989:
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969:
217:
Subsequently, Anandan filed for presidential clemency on behalf of Chelliah, seeking to have Chelliah's death sentence commuted to
207:
999:
459:
465:
125:
on 21 September 1973. After losing his appeals against the sentence and conviction, Chelliah was hanged on 11 April 1975.
775:
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505:
376:
297:
174:
122:
218:
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193:
197:
850:"Lawyer Subhas Anandan on defending Spore's most heinous criminals & losing his first murder case"
273:
886:"Guilty As Charged: Leong Siew Chor killed lover and cut up her body to cover up theft of ATM card"
277:
150:
849:
222:
240:
at dawn. Chelliah was cremated at the Hindu Crematorium on the same date of his execution.
8:
39:
133:
On the night of 16 October 1972, in front of a backlane sabarat stall at Enggor Road,
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118:
54:
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256:
243:
More than three decades after Chelliah was put to death, his former lawyer
161:, who was coincidentally Anandan's former law school classmate and friend.
158:
117:(aged 21), alias Beatles Rajah, outside a sarabat stall in Enggor Street,
578:"Saya terpaksa gunakan pisau, khuatir musuh gunakan botol: Raja Tampines"
265:
918:"Guilty As Charged: 'One-eyed Dragon' Tan Chor Jin shot nightclub owner"
206:
On 16 January 1975, Chelliah applied for special leave to appeal to the
936:"Guilty As Charged: Huang Na, 8, killed by man she treated as an uncle"
830:"Veteran criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan dies of heart failure, aged 67"
181:
58:
252:
868:"Guilty As Charged: Anthony Ler lured teen into killing his wife"
236:
On 11 April 1975, 23-year-old Chelliah Silvanathan was hanged in
211:
180:
As of 4 February 1974, Chelliah was one of the 17 prisoners on
900:"13 years' jail for ex-air hostess who caused girl's death"
149:
In September 1973, Chelliah Silvanathan stood trial at the
413:"'Raja Tampines' beritahu m'kamah dia tak maksud menikam"
113:, alias Tampines Rajah, attacked and stabbed another man
488:"Court told: Tampines Rajah confessed to fatal stabbing"
524:"Mahkamah dengar kisah 'Raja Tampines' minta lindungan"
323:"Raja Tampenis dihukum mati kerana bunuh Raja Beatle"
192:
On 25 March 1974, Chelliah's appeal was heard in the
596:"Death for gangster who killed member of own gang"
542:"Gangland loss of face led to murder, court told"
951:
144:
341:"Akhirnya 'Raja Tempines' dicerut tali gantung"
16:1972 case of a gang-related murder in Singapore
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
428:
426:
686:"Man fails in appeal against death sentence"
128:
423:
359:"Man found stabbed to death in back lane"
650:"The 17 who wait in Death Row at Changi"
444:
247:recorded his case inside his 2009 book
980:Singaporean people convicted of murder
952:
704:"犯謀殺罪印籍死囚提出上訴昨遭駁囘三司認為審訊証據充足被告謀殺意圖至為明顯"
975:20th-century executions by Singapore
740:"Murder Privy Council plea refused"
187:
13:
990:Gang-related killings in Singapore
776:"Stall murder man goes to gallows"
468:from the original on 18 April 2023
14:
1011:
985:Violence against men in Singapore
303:List of major crimes in Singapore
157:, while the trial prosecutor was
638:(in Chinese). 22 September 1973.
620:(in Chinese). 22 September 1973.
566:(in Chinese). 19 September 1973.
512:(in Chinese). 18 September 1973.
383:(in Chinese). 18 September 1973.
109:On 16 October 1972, 21-year-old
995:Capital punishment in Singapore
970:Deaths by stabbing in Singapore
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910:
892:
878:
860:
842:
822:
804:
786:
768:
750:
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660:
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624:
606:
588:
570:
560:"印籍靑年被控謀殺同籍靑年案被告是否須上絞台預料今日卽可分曉"
552:
534:
516:
454:. Marshall Cavendish Editions.
298:Capital punishment in Singapore
584:(in Malay). 21 September 1973.
530:(in Malay). 18 September 1973.
498:
480:
419:(in Malay). 19 September 1973.
405:
387:
369:
351:
333:
329:(in Malay). 22 September 1973.
315:
268:, Kallang body-parts murderer
1:
888:. Straits Times. 17 May 2016.
308:
272:, schizophrenic child-killer
145:Trial of Chelliah Silvanathan
1000:Indian diaspora in Singapore
812:"Death at stall: Man hanged"
800:(in Chinese). 15 April 1975.
728:(in Chinese). 26 March 1974.
710:(in Chinese). 26 March 1974.
377:"一印籍靑年遭控謀殺罪喪生同籍靑年身中兩刀胸部創傷致命"
231:
7:
291:
10:
1016:
632:"印籍造船廠散工芝萊耶 被控謀殺罪名 昨遭判處死刑"
347:(in Malay). 15 April 1975.
960:1972 murders in Singapore
794:"在咖啡攤刺殺一靑年 死囚西哇那丹 上週五受絞刑"
274:Constance Chee Cheong Hin
129:Stabbing at Enggor Street
99:
91:
81:
73:
65:
50:16 October 1972 (aged 21)
46:
28:
21:
708:南洋商报 (Nanyang Siang Pau)
618:南洋商报 (Nanyang Siang Pau)
564:南洋商报 (Nanyang Siang Pau)
381:南洋商报 (Nanyang Siang Pau)
276:, Oriental Hotel killer
798:星洲日报 (Sin Chew Jit Poh)
758:"'No' to murder appeal"
726:星洲日报 (Sin Chew Jit Poh)
636:星洲日报 (Sin Chew Jit Poh)
510:星洲日报 (Sin Chew Jit Poh)
278:Abdul Nasir Amer Hamsah
255:, converted himself to
668:"15 WAIT TO BE HANGED"
196:before three judges -
506:"印籍靑年咖啡摊前喝茶 突被同籍靑年刺斃"
965:Capital murder cases
602:. 22 September 1973.
548:. 21 September 1973.
494:. 18 September 1973.
111:Chelliah Silvanathan
856:. 19 December 2020.
722:"一印籍靑年犯謀杀罪 昨提上訴被駁囘"
401:. 16 November 1972.
284:, and child-killer
280:, notorious gunman
66:Cause of death
40:Colony of Singapore
764:. 16 January 1975.
746:. 17 January 1975.
656:. 4 February 1974.
614:"殺人償命法網難逃印籍青年被處死刑"
365:. 17 October 1972.
175:sentenced to death
940:The Straits Times
922:The Straits Times
904:The Straits Times
872:The Straits Times
838:. 7 January 2015.
835:The Straits Times
780:The Straits Times
744:The Straits Times
690:The Straits Times
674:. 5 October 1974.
654:The Straits Times
600:The Straits Times
546:The Straits Times
492:The Straits Times
461:978-981-4677-81-3
399:The Straits Times
363:The Straits Times
219:life imprisonment
123:sentenced to hang
115:Arumugam Jayamani
107:
106:
33:Arumugam Jayamani
23:Arumugam Jayamani
1007:
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925:
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818:. 14 April 1975.
808:
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783:
782:. 15 April 1975.
772:
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765:
754:
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718:
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692:. 26 March 1974.
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451:The Best I Could
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249:The Best I Could
226:Benjamin Sheares
221:. However, then
188:Appeal processes
82:Other names
19:
18:
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1005:
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906:. 8 April 2006.
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446:Anandan, Subhas
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411:
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395:"Murder charge"
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270:Leong Siew Chor
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194:Court of Appeal
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53:Enggor Street,
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942:. 17 May 2016.
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924:. 17 May 2016.
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874:. 16 May 2016.
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260:was executed.
245:Subhas Anandan
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155:Subhas Anandan
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100:Known for
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582:Berita Harian
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528:Berita Harian
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467:
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417:Berita Harian
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345:Berita Harian
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327:Berita Harian
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286:Took Leng How
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238:Changi Prison
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208:Privy Council
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201:Wee Chong Jin
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198:Chief Justice
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135:Tanjong Pagar
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119:Tanjong Pagar
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103:Murder victim
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85:Beatles Rajah
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55:Tanjong Pagar
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470:. Retrieved
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282:Tan Chor Jin
262:
257:Christianity
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159:Lawrence Ang
148:
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114:
110:
108:
266:Anthony Ler
87:A. Jayamani
77:Singaporean
74:Nationality
954:Categories
854:Mothership
816:New Nation
762:New Nation
672:New Nation
472:1 December
309:References
151:High Court
95:Unemployed
92:Occupation
232:Execution
223:President
182:death row
59:Singapore
466:Archived
448:(2015).
292:See also
69:Stabbed
458:
212:London
253:Hindu
474:2023
456:ISBN
47:Died
36:1951
29:Born
210:in
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425:^
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57:,
476:.
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