According to his profile online, 24-year-old Rakesh Kumar Prasad holds more than eight years of yoga teaching experience after getting certified as a yoga instructor in Kolkata.
He can add “alleged molester” to his resumé right now as he goes on trial for purportedly outraging the modesty of his female student during a yoga session at the Real Yoga studio in Tampines Grande.
Aside from outrage of modesty, the Indian national faces another count of using criminal force, The Straits Times reported. The victim — now 26 — took the witness stand yesterday, informing the court that she was the only student at the session led by Rakesh in the afternoon of Apr 26 last year.
The victim was instructed to adopt a forward bending pose while seated on the floor with her legs outstretched — but Rakesh came forth and cupped her left breast, she claimed. Though she hit his hand and told him not to touch her breasts, he was said to be undeterred and pinched them — and threatened to pinch harder if she did not bend lower in her pose.
Minutes later, Rakesh molested her once again. He even rebuked her for shouting when she objected, the victim said.
Later on, she was told to get into another yoga position, where she had to spread her legs while sitting and get her chest to touch the floor. It was then that Rakesh slipped his left hand into the left side of her sports bra and tried to squeeze her breast. She knocked his arm away.
The incidents were caught on CCTV, footage of which was played back in court.
The victim also stated that Rakesh did not seem troubled by his own actions as he smiled at the end of the session and allegedly said, “It’s not like there’s anything to touch”. Later on, he grabbed the back of her neck as she was leaving the studio.
When asked by the defense why she did not seek help immediately, the victim reiterated that she was alone and did not know any of the studio’s staff.
“I was helpless, what did you expect me to do?”, she teared.
The trial continues today.
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