Country First, Nothing Else Matters! Singapore Court Jails Indian-Origin Man for Evading National Service

A 28-year-old Singaporean of Indian descent, Naresh Kumar Nagesvaran, has been sentenced to 14 weeks in prison after losing his appeal against a conviction for defaulting on his mandatory national service (NS) obligations. The High Court upheld the ruling on Wednesday, dismissing Nagesvaran’s claim that he was unaware of the need to secure an exit permit to remain in India beyond his allowed period.

Nagesvaran, born in Singapore, moved to India with his mother and sister in 2004 at age seven after his Singaporean father abandoned the family, according to court records reported by The Straits Times. In 2009, at age 13, he received a notice at his last-known Singapore address informing him of his NS duties and the requirement for an exit permit if staying overseas longer than three months. He secured two permits: one valid from January 30, 2010, to January 28, 2012, applied for online, and another from January 29, 2012, to September 30, 2013, obtained in person at the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) in Singapore on January 3, 2012.

However, Nagesvaran overstayed in India by over five years, returning to Singapore only on April 7, 2019, where he was arrested at the airport. He began his NS later that year but faced charges for failing to return by the stipulated deadline. He argued ignorance of his obligations, claiming his late mother managed all CMPB correspondence until 2018 and that he only learned of his duties late that year. The prosecution countered with evidence that he had visited the CMPB with his uncle in 2012 to apply for the second permit, supported by travel records showing his presence in Singapore from December 25, 2011, to January 10, 2012.

Nagesvaran maintained he stayed outside the CMPB premises during the visit and denied signing a 2014 letter requesting an permit extension, suggesting it was in his mother’s handwriting. His mother passed away from cancer in June 2019. District Judge Luke Tan, in the 2023 conviction, deemed the offense one of strict liability—meaning intent or awareness was irrelevant if the act was proven—and found Nagesvaran knew his obligations based on his CMPB visit and the letter.

The High Court panel, including Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang, and Justice Vincent Hoong, rejected his appeal, noting the defense failed to provide expert evidence on the letter’s authorship or call his uncle as a witness. Chief Justice Menon emphasized that the burden lay with Nagesvaran to substantiate his claims.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated that since a 2017 sentencing framework was established, 29 NS defaulters, including Nagesvaran, have received jail terms. The case underscores Singapore’s strict enforcement of its national service policy, a cornerstone of its defense system.