An Indian national has been sentenced to two years and one month in jail by a Singapore court for killing a senior National University of Singapore (NUS) law professor in a road accident last year. On July 7, 2023, construction worker Natarajan Mohanraj, 28 was driving a lorry when he looked at his mobile phone, lost control and rammed into a car driven by Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin. Tan, a highly respected law academic, was rushed to hospital but died later the same day due to multiple injuries.Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair told the court that the lorry mounted the centre divider, smashed through railings, uprooted two trees, and emerged onto the opposite side of the road against oncoming traffic. It collided head-on with Tan’s car, which spun out of control and struck a van. The van, in turn, hit the side of a bus.The 28-year-old van driver Natarajan Mohanraj also suffered fractured ribs and other injuries. For his offences, the court sentenced him to jail and also fined him SGD 2,000, besides imposing a lifetime driving ban. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing death by driving without due care. In addition to the fine and prison term, he has been permanently prohibited from driving any motor vehicle in Singapore. Court documents revealed that Natarajan had a record of reckless driving. The Traffic Police had issued him a notice in June 2023 to surrender his licence before July 25. However, the fatal accident occurred just two weeks before the deadline. Despite the ban, Natarajan continued to flout the law. In January 2024, he was caught driving another man’s lorry without wearing a seatbelt. Again in May, he drove the same lorry without the owner’s permission before being stopped by traffic police.
