Man fighting for his life after Tanjong Pagar attack
Manager, 38, left unconscious in ICU after rioting incident in Tanjong Pagar
A man is fighting for his life after being assaulted in Tanjong Pagar on Wednesday.
Mr Gary Gan, 38, is unconscious in intensive care in the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) after suffering multiple fractures on his face and internal bleeding in his head.
The New Paper understands that Mr Gan, an IT company manager, was one of four people allegedly attacked by a group of men in different areas along Tanjong Pagar Road and Duxton Road.
The police told TNP four men have been arrested.
Apart from Mr Gan, a 29-year-old man was also taken to SGH. He was conscious.
Another 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene under the Liquor Control Act, while the last man did not require medical attention.
The police said on Wednesday they were alerted to a case of rioting in the Tanjong Pagar Road and Duxton Road areas at 3am.
Yesterday, its spokesman told TNP three more men, aged between 20 and 35, had been arrested for rioting, bringing the total to four nabbed.
AT LARGE
TNP understands at least one other suspect is still at large.
Mr Gan's friend, Mr Alex Kho, 39, told TNP that Mr Gan's five-year-old daughter wept upon seeing her father in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Mr Kho, who was near the scene when the incident occurred, said: "When I saw Gary lying on the ground covered in blood, I was really angry.
"The whole situation was ridiculous if it was true these people were really hurting others for fun."
Mr Kho had been talking to a group of friends by the side of a bar along Tanjong Pagar Road when they saw a man in his 20s grabbing an elderly man by the collar.
While his friends went over to confront the assailant, Mr Kho said he stayed behind to assess the situation.
Mr Kho, a director of sales at a manufacturing company, told TNP: "It all happened so fast.
"I wanted to see how it would develop before deciding on the appropriate course of action, but by then it was too late."
Mr Kho said this attacker ran off when he heard shouting in the background.
He then noticed a man sprawled on the ground about 100m away from him. It was Mr Gan.
Mr Kho said: "It was heartbreaking to see Gary in such a state."
Witnesses told Mr Kho that Mr Gan had been chatting with a 70-year-old man. Two women in their 30s were also with them.
When the attackers arrived, one woman fled and ran for help but was chased by two of the men in the group.
Mr Kho said: "The remaining members of the group then pounced on Gary, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly kicked his head for five minutes."
Police investigations are ongoing. Anyone convicted of rioting may be punished with a jail term of up to seven years and caned.
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