A Midnight Snack Battle Turns Into a Jail Beat
Oops! What were supposed to be two travelers’ friendly night‑time snack run when they ended up paying a hefty price for ignoring Singapore’s stay‑home notice.
Two Indian Indians, One Hotel, One Late‑Night Get‑Together
- Bojanki Suresh Naidu, 37, a logistics lead at Novartis, and
- Bharati Tulshiram Choudhari, 48, who was temporarily out of work.
Both landed in Singapore on a March 14 flight from India. They didn’t know each other before, but shares (both on the 16th floor of Oasia Hotel Novena) turned into a quick “hello.”
“Let’s Grab Snacks!”
Bojanki dialed Bharati’s room number, got her notes, and they hatched a plan to meet. “Suresh drops by, gets snacks, we chat awhile,” they agreed. No felons needed, just a midnight snack‑run.
When Midnight Strikes (12:30 am)
Bojanki slipped out of his room – no mask – and marched to Bharati’s. All good. The two opened their doors simultaneously at 12:30 am and stayed in the room until about 1 am. The next twist? Bojack’s return to his room left him locked out. He darted back to Bharati’s for another five minutes, then phoned the hotel staff. A security officer let him back into his room at 1:20 am, asking why he’d strayed.
Bojanki faked a “puffing and distress” story: “I was out of breath, got some fresh air,” while Bharati cited a “knock and help.” The pair claimed it was accidental.
Room 101 Verdict: Cameras Say No.
Throughout the whole incident, the hotel’s CCTV captured their synchronized door opening at 12:30 am. The evidence matched none of their “accident” stories.
Judicial Drama
Prosecution weighed in: Suresh and Bharati faced assaulting their stay‑home notices and risking COVID spread. The chief charges were:
- Potential exposure to others during the pandemic.
- Mask‑less pass by the hotel security.
Sentencing: A Devilish 3 Weeks in Jail
- Suresh: 3 weeks prison, set to surrender on September 6.
- Bharati: 3 weeks prison, due to surrender on August 31.
For each, the maximum penalty could have been six months in prison (up to a $10,000 fine). If they’d repeated the offence, the penalty would have multiplied.
Chicago‑Style Appeals?Nah
Both pleaded for leniency – Suresh claimed he’s a seasoned community volunteer, has a wife and kids, and over ten years running in Singapore. Bharati said she’s been here for 11 years and her family would ink shame.
The district judge, Chay Yuen Fatt, granted them a defer, allowing them to sort personal affairs before heading to a precinct.
In Summary
What looked like a harmless midnight snack plan turned into a battle with the law when two strangers stepped out of their world of “SHN.” Lesson? Even a snack run can backfire if you forget a mask, especially during a pandemic crisis. The drama stays behind bars – and maybe a bit of humor can lighten the violation, but the verdict’s clear: play by the rules or pay the price.
