SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old yoga teacher was sentenced to nine months’ jail on Monday (Apr 2) for molesting his student during a private session at Real Yoga’s Tampines Grande studio in April 2015.

Rakesh Kumar Prasad was also fined S$1,000 for using criminal force on the woman, an assistant manager who was then 25 years old.



Rakesh, an Indian national, was convicted of the two charges after a 12-day trial.

He was found guilty of slipping his hand inside the victim’s bra to touch her breast while helping her into a pose on Apr 26, 2015.

After their private session ended at about 1.15pm, Rakesh “forcefully grabbed” the back of the woman’s neck, according to court documents.

Urging the court to show leniency, Rakesh’s lawyer Mr Steven Lam tendered 50 testimonials submitted by the instructor’s students, colleagues and bosses.



“(Rakesh) received no less than 50 testimonials within a week," Mr Lam told the court.

“This is remarkable. This speaks volumes about Rakesh’s character and the positive impact he’s made on the lives of many people … who (have been) willing to step forward to attest to his character despite the nature of the charges against him," the lawyer said.

Real Yoga’s CEO Saumik Bera also praised Rakesh for “putting his heart into his teaching and touching the lives of many students”. The company had never received any complaints against Rakesh, Mr Bera added.

Mr Lam, Rakesh’s lawyer, said the instructor knew of the allegations against him before he was arrested. He did not attempt to leave the country, although he had an opportunity to, Mr Lam added.

He urged the court to sentence Rakesh to nine months’ jail and a fine of S$1,000.

Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew had sought a 12-month jail term and three strokes of the cane.

In his closing submissions, Mr Chew said the victim was "credible and convincing" while Rakesh's defence was "completely inconsistent with extrinsic and independent evidence".

He pointed out that Rakesh's "unrecognised methodology" of placing his hands between the victim’s thighs and chest, knowing full well that her breasts would be in extremely close proximity if not making contact with his hands, indicates that the accused "clearly had ill-intentions".

Mr Chew also highlighted how CCTV footage supported the victim's evidence that Rakesh had forcefully grabbed her neck from behind at the end of the class, and debunked the accused's claim that he was giving her a "gentle neck massage".

Referring to Rakesh, Mr Chew said: "Plainly, the accused was tailoring his evidence as it suited him. He is clearly not a credible witness. No weight should be accorded to his evidence." ​​​​​​​



Rakesh intends to appeal, said his lawyer. The yoga instructor is on bail of S$16,000 pending the hearing of his appeal.

The penalty for molestation is up to two years’ jail, a fine and caning. For using criminal force, he could be jailed up to three months and fined a maximum of S$1,500.