Although in today’s time, technology is being used to conduct all kinds of conferences etc. But a unique case has emerged in Singapore. Here a judge heard a drug deal case through the zoom app and sentenced the person accused in the case to a death sentence. This in itself will be the first such case in the world, which was heard through an app and the accused was sentenced to death.
Since Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs and hundreds of people have been hanged, including dozens of foreigners. Because of this, the case was heard through the zoom app and the judge sentenced the accused to death. The person sentenced to death is Punit Genson (37). Genson is a Malaysian citizen. Genson was sentenced on Friday. In 2011, Genson was arrested on charges of drug dealing. Her role was found in it.
Many court hearings in Singapore have been postponed due to the lockdown. The lockdown was announced in April due to the coronavirus. The lockdown is currently going on until 1 June. But meanwhile, cases considered necessary are being heard through the app in a similar manner.
A spokesman for the Supreme Court of Singapore, citing sanctions imposed to reduce the virus, said, to protect all those involved in the proceedings, public prosecutor V Punithan AL Ganasan was heard by video-conferencing.
A spokesperson of the Supreme Court of Singapore was also hearing the case during the coronavirus era. The hearing of government lawyer V Punithan AL Ganasan was conducted by video conferencing. He said it was the first criminal case in which he was sentenced to death through a remote hearing in Singapore.
Rights groups, on the other hand, have criticized the use of video-calls for the death penalty verdict, including a case in Nigeria stating that it was the first death penalty to be awarded remotely. Jenson’s lawyer, Peter Fernando, said he did not object to Friday’s decision on Zoom.
He said that the judge could be heard clearly and as it was ruled that no other legal arguments were presented. He said his client is considering an appeal against the verdict. California-based tech firm Zoom did not respond to requests for comment made through its representatives in Singapore. Attorney General K Chambers, the government attorney in the case, did not immediately comment.
