Police investigating after woman filmed striking gong as neighbour carried out Hindu prayers at home

[Update June 11]

A 48-year-old woman is currently assisting with investigations, the police told AsiaOne on Thursday (June 10) night, and confirmed that a reported was lodged.

Meanwhile, Livanesh Ramu updated his Facebook post, saying that he has given his statement to the authorities.

“While we await their findings, I do not wish to speculate on behalf of my neighbour with regard to her actions,” he wrote, adding that he will give an update when the investigation ends.

Livanesh also thanked those offered their thoughts and well-wishes, saying: “It is indeed heartening to see fellow Singaporeans in solidarity against intolerance.

“Thank you for letting us know we are not alone.”

---

Living in close proximity to one another can sometimes bring out the worst in people.

Livanesh Ramu took to Facebook on Wednesday night (June 9) to share a video of what he's had to endure from his neighbour recently.

The viral clip showed a woman at the doorway, continuously and animatedly banging on a golden gong while a man, believed to be Livanesh, performed his religious prayers at his flat's entrance.

In the 19-second-long clip, the man can be seen ringing his prayer bell and starting his five-minute prayer.

Immediately, his neighbour – a middle-aged woman – stepped out of her flat and started to mimic the man's ringing of the bell by striking a gong repeatedly for almost 16 seconds in the video – moving around the doorway as though she was taunting him.

Even after he stopped ringing his bell, the woman continued hitting her gong and looked at the man before she went home.

[[nid:502479]]

For Hindus, it is believed that the ringing sound of the bell is auspicious as it welcomes divinity and dispels evil.

"Like many other Hindus, this has been a part of our family's five-minute, twice a week prayer routine," Livanesh said in his Facebook post. He added that he's lived in the flat for more than two decades and never had any issues prior.

In an update, he said the Singapore Police Force has reached out to him and his family. 

The video has gotten plenty of attention with almost 40,000 views on Facebook and 1,500 shares. Comments have also flooded in with some netizens taking the funny route – and the hidden humour in this incident. 

 

Others took a serious tone and said what happened to Livanesh should not be accepted and a police report should be made.

There were disagreements between netizens too.

One felt it was Livanesh who disturbed the woman first and that she was just getting even with him. That comment got flak from another netizen which started an online debate.

AsiaOne has reached out to Livanesh for comment. 

The police also confirmed with AsiaOne that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

This incident follows a recent case of racial and religious tension, where a Chinese Singaporean man accused a half-Indian, half-Filipino man of 'preying on Chinese girls'.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (6 June), Home Affairs and Law Minister K.Shanmugam described such incidents as 'quite unacceptable' and 'very worrying'. 

amierul@asiaone.com