A WOMAN busted her bigamist husband’s secret marriage after the second wife gave birth at the hospital where she worked.
Vaithialingam Muthukumar from India married his Singaporean wife in 2007 – only to cheat on her 15 years on.
He then moved to Singapore and got into a relationship with Salmah Bee Abdul Razak, a younger work colleague.
She reportedly knew about his marriage.
In 2022, Muthukumar married Salmah in a secret wedding, promising he would divorce his first wife.
The sick liar managed to juggle both wives until last year, when Salmah got pregnant.
She was rushed to a hospital for delivery, which also happened to be Muthukumar’s first wife’s workplace, according to CNA.
To his nightmare, Muthukumar was caught emerging from the hospital’s delivery suite – where no guests were allowed – by his first wife.
When confronted, Muthukumar revealed he was secretly married to Salmahn in a bigamy, which is a criminal offence in almost all countries.
Salmah later reported to the Ministry of Manpower that he was still married to another woman, leading to a police probe.
Investigations uncovered that Vaithialingam had also falsified information on immigration forms when seeking permanent residency by claiming to be married to a Singapore citizen.
He falsely declared he had no other marriages, though his application was rejected.
Muthukumar admitted to being guilty of conspiring to engage in bigamy and falsely declaring his status in a permanent residency application.
A Singaporean court jailed him for three months and three weeks.
Bigamy carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a fine of up to Singaporean $7,800 (£5,800).
It comes after a Brit bigamist married his 16-year-old stepdaughter while wed to her mum – then had children with both of them.
John Ingram, 69, changed his name so he could tie the knot with the schoolgirl in a 1988 ceremony in Kent attended by his wife.
The sick liar then went on to father several children with the mum and daughter, although many of the kids were unaware who their dad was.
Ingram’s vile web of deceit was only discovered in February 2020 – a staggering 32 years after he committed bigamy.
He was facing a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to the offence, but was spared jail.
Ingram was instead handed a two-year community order and told to pay £450 in total.
Bigamy is illegal in Singapore for non-Muslims and is governed under the Women’s Charter.
Marrying another person while still legally married is considered void and punishable by law, even if the subsequent marriage occurs overseas.
Penalties for non-Muslims include imprisonment of up to 7 years, fines, or both.
If the offender conceals their existing marriage, penalties may extend to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $15,000.
For non-Muslims, exceptions to bigamy include situations where the prior marriage is annulled, or if the spouse has been absent for seven years and is assumed to be deceased.
Otherwise, bigamy carries significant legal and reputational consequences.
For Muslims, bigamy is regulated under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA).
Muslim men may seek approval from the Syariah Court to take additional wives, provided they meet strict financial and emotional requirements.
Source: Singapore Family Lawyer
