"NOTORIOUS KILLER - VADIVELU KATHIKESAN - IS A SIGNIFICANT ENTRY IN SINGAPORE'S CRIMINAL HISTORY"

 

The case of Vadivelu Kathikesan (also known as Karthigesu) is a significant entry in Singapore’s criminal history, involving a double murderer who terrorized victims over a four-month period in 1979.

The Crimes & Victims

Vadivelu was linked to two separate, brutal killings in 1979:

1. Victim 1: Abdul Rahiman Adnan (61)

Time: June 17, 1979.

Location: A factory in Kallang, Singapore.

Details: Abdul Rahiman, a watchman, was found dead with severe head wounds inflicted by a blunt instrument.

Motive: Robbery. Approximately S$200 and several bottles of liquor were stolen.

2. Victim 2: Mohamed Dawood Abdul Jaffar (54)

Time: October 16, 1979.

Location: Sims Place, Singapore.

Details: Mohamed Dawood, a cigarette stall owner, was found in a pool of blood in front of his stall. He had been bludgeoned with wooden poles while he was sleeping on a makeshift bed.

Motive: Personal Vendetta/Provocation. Vadivelu claimed the victim had insulted his mother and spat at him following a dispute over a renovation job and a small theft of S$34.

Investigation & Arrest

The Manhunt: Following the second murder, Vadivelu fled Singapore to Malaysia.

Arrest: After four months on the run, the Royal Malaysian Police arrested him in Ipoh on March 20, 1980.

Findings: He was extradited to Singapore eight days later. During the investigation for the Sims Place murder, forensic evidence and witness statements linked him to the earlier Kallang robbery-murder.

Trial & Verdict

Charges: He faced two counts of murder. However, the prosecution proceeded with the trial for the murder of Mohamed Dawood first, temporarily withdrawing the charge for Abdul Rahiman.

Defense: Represented by the legendary criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan, Vadivelu pleaded "sudden and grave provocation" and "diminished responsibility" due to intoxication.

Verdict: The High Court (Justices T. Kulasekaram and Lai Kew Chai) rejected his defense. They ruled the attack was premeditated and brutal, occurring while the victim was defenseless and asleep.

Sentence: On March 10, 1982, Vadivelu was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

Aftermath & Current Status

Appeal: Vadivelu appealed the conviction, but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in January 1983.

Execution: Vadivelu Kathikesan was hanged at Changi Prison in 1983.

Current Status: The case is closed. It remains a landmark case in Singaporean law regarding the "sole witness" rule and the limits of the provocation defense, often cited in legal textbooks alongside the Indian case Vadivelu Thevar v. State of Madras.

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