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Subhas Nair, Indian-Origin Rapper, Starts Six-Week Jail Term in Singapore

Subhas Nair, an Indian-origin rapper, starts serving his six-week jail sentence in Singapore after making racially charged online posts.

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Subhas Nair, Indian-Origin Rapper, Starts Six-Week Jail Term in Singapore

Indian-origin rapper Subhas Nair has started his six-week imprisonment in Singapore following his conviction on charges of doing acts prejudicial to the harboring of racial feelings and promoting ill will amongst different races, through his racist online posts. Authorities have identified the 32-year-old full-time rapper as Subhas Govin Prabhakar Nair.

Reports say he made several racially charged comments between July 2019 and March 2021, which led to his jail sentence.

Background and Charges

The court convicted Subhas Nair of four counts in 2023 following a trial at the district court. The counts arose from a YouTube video in which he and his sister, Preeti Nair, sang a song that contained racist lyrics. Although Subhas Nair was initially cautioned for two years on condition over the video by the police, he committed further racially offending remarks on social media. He wrote a post that compared the severity of racial actions, stating, that “calling out racism and Chinese privilege” equaled a conditional warning and a “smear campaign in the media,” while “actually conspiring to murder an Indian man” resulted in only half the jail sentence.

Nair further worsened his case by commenting on a media question about the gender of an unborn child. He later performed a stage play where he reenacted remarks related to Chan Jia Xing, a fellow individual in the controversy.

Appeals Rejected of Subhas Nair

Nair tried to appeal the conviction, but the High Court, presided over by Justice Hoo Sheau Peng, dismissed his claims. According to Justice Hoo, the six-week jail sentence was “not disproportionate or crushing,” agreeing with the district court’s decision on both the conviction and sentence.

Under Singaporean law, promoting ill will between racial or religious groups can lead to imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.

Consequences and Legal Proceedings

In a multiethnic society, the conviction is a part of the ongoing efforts by Singaporean authorities to preserve racial peace. Nair has been under intense judicial and public scrutiny in addition to his jail sentence.

His case serves as a reminder of the serious repercussions of spreading divisive sentiments online as well as the significance of acting responsibly.