Indian man faces jail in Singapore after failing to dispose of fake IED

A 46-year-old Indian-origin security guard has been charged with giving false information to police after a fake bomb caused panic in Singapore.

Durendran Vicknesh Venkatraman was tasked with handling the improvised explosive device (IED) used during the security training exercise on January 5.

According to The Straits Times, the exercise was held at Sing Industrial Park in Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park.

However, Venkatraman did not dispose of the fake bomb but left it in a public area.

This caused panic among nearby people, forcing authorities to deploy police and ban at least 100 people from entering the premises before the item was determined to be a fake IED, the report said.

“He was supposed to dispose of the fake IED after receiving a call from the exercise team,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying.

Venkatraman was reportedly missing for more than five hours, and when he finally returned, he lied to authorities, claiming he had disposed of the device.

Venkatraman’s case has been adjourned to April 30. If found guilty, he could face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to S$5,000.