On March 13, 1997, the serene life of 53-year-old Sivapackiam Veerappan Rengasamy was brutally cut short in her King George's Avenue flat in Kallang, Singapore. Sivapackiam was found by her son, Selvan Nagalingam, who discovered her lifeless body with three fatal stab wounds to the neck. The initial police investigation led to a shocking revelation involving Sivapackiam's tenant, Gerardine Andrew, a 36-year-old sex worker.
Key Facts:
Victim: Sivapackiam Veerappan Rengasamy
Date of Murder: March 13, 1997
Location: King George's Avenue, Kallang, Singapore
Gerardine Andrew initially claimed that she witnessed three assailants attacking and robbing Sivapackiam while she was briefly held hostage. However, the investigation soon uncovered a more sinister plot. The assailants—Kamala Rani Balakrishnan, her brother Mansoor Abdullah, and Mansoor's friend Nazar Mohamed Kassim—were arrested within days. Their confessions revealed that Gerardine had orchestrated the robbery, driven by ongoing disputes with her landlady.
The Crime and Investigation:
Selvan Nagalingam's return home revealed the grisly scene, leading to a police investigation helmed by Inspector Yeo Bee Poh of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Gerardine Andrew, a key witness, was soon under suspicion due to her inconsistent statements and nervous behavior.
The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects. Mansoor Abdullah, 21, was apprehended on March 14, 1997; Kamala Rani Balakrishnan, 22, was caught at the Woodlands Checkpoint on March 17, 1997; and Nazar Mohamed Kassim, 26, was captured on May 16, 1997. All three men confessed to the crime, implicating Gerardine as the mastermind behind the robbery.
Trial and Verdict:
The trial began on October 20, 1997, with Kamala Rani Balakrishnan's charge reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. She was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The remaining suspects—Gerardine Andrew, Mansoor Abdullah, and Nazar Mohamed Kassim—faced a murder trial starting January 12, 1998. The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Bala Reddy, argued that despite Gerardine’s claims of not intending to kill, her role in planning the robbery and her knowledge of the potential for violence made her culpable for murder.
Mansoor Abdullah and Nazar Mohamed Kassim were both sentenced to death, while Gerardine initially received an eight-year prison term for culpable homicide. However, the prosecution appealed this decision, and on September 9, 1998, the Court of Appeal overturned Gerardine’s conviction, sentencing her to death as well.
Executions and Aftermath:
On February 26, 1999, Gerardine Andrew, Mansoor Abdullah, and Nazar Mohamed Kassim were executed by hanging at Changi Prison. This case was featured in Singapore’s crime shows, such as Crimewatch and True Files, highlighting the brutality of the crime and its impact on the community.
The case remains a grim reminder of how personal grievances can escalate into violence and the severe consequences of orchestrating such heinous acts.
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