Lucky Plaza Assault Case: Where the Markandan Charges Stand, and What to Do If You Are Attacked in Singapore

On 8 February 2026, a video taken inside Lucky Plaza shocked the Filipino community in Singapore. A man walked up behind a Filipino woman buying food at a stall, hit her on the back of the neck, and kicked her on the ground. The clip travelled through Facebook, TikTok and Pinoy chat groups within hours.

The man was identified as Andrew Suresh Markandan, 47. The Singapore police took him in. The Philippines DMW flagged the case. The embassy reached out to the woman, identified in court papers as Alibutdan Vilma Litgio. By late April, the case had moved into the criminal court schedule.

If you only saw the video and not what happened next, here is the public record. And, more usefully, here is what to do if anything like this happens to you.

What is on the charge sheet

Markandan was handed two counts of voluntarily causing hurt and two counts of mischief by damaging property, all dated 8 February 2026 at Lucky Plaza. He was first produced in court on 22 April 2026. The matter was adjourned to a May court mention.

The two counts of voluntarily causing hurt cover the strike on the back of the neck and the kick on the ground. The two counts of mischief cover damage to the woman's property in the same incident. Under Singapore law, voluntarily causing hurt carries up to three years' jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. Mischief by damaging property carries up to two years' jail, a fine, or both.

One detail confirmed by local press: Markandan was on a 12-month conditional warning at the time of the Lucky Plaza incident. The warning was issued after an earlier incident at Hotel 81 Bugis in March 2024. Police are reviewing whether the Lucky Plaza charges put him in breach of that warning, which could carry separate consequences.

Markandan has not yet entered a plea on the new charges. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What the embassy did

The Migrant Workers Office in Singapore moved on the case fast. The Philippine labour attaché identified the woman and reached out to her directly. The embassy's Assistance to Nationals desk offered medical support, legal counsel and counselling. The DMW Secretary said in a Manila press briefing that legal action was being filed on behalf of the victim.

For Filipinos watching from home or from a different part of Singapore, the takeaway is that the embassy does step in when an OFW is the victim of a high-profile incident. You should still know the channels for the cases that do not go viral.

If you are assaulted in Singapore

Police first. Always. Call 999 if you are in immediate danger. Use SMS to 71999 if you cannot speak safely. Both are toll-free and reach the Singapore Police Force directly.

If you are hurt and need medical care, go to the nearest A&E or call 995 for an ambulance. The first 24 hours matter for documentation. A doctor's note that records your injuries on the same day is one of the strongest pieces of evidence at trial.

Once you are safe, file a police report. You can walk into any Neighbourhood Police Centre or use the Singapore Police Force's e-Services portal. Bring your work pass, your passport, and any photos or video you have. If a bystander filmed it, ask for the file; the police can also pull mall CCTV.

Call the Philippine Embassy. The Assistance to Nationals desk is at +65 6790 3977. The embassy and the Migrant Workers Office at Lucky Plaza (304 Orchard Road, #06-23/24) can connect you with a lawyer who knows OFW cases. For domestic workers, the Migrant Workers' Centre runs a 24-hour helpline at 1800 777 7777.

Do not delete evidence. The video, the messages, the screenshots, the receipts. Keep them all. Save them to two places, like Google Drive plus a phone backup.

Do not negotiate alone. If the attacker or someone on their side contacts you to settle privately, tell the police and the embassy first. Singapore takes a hard line on accepting payment to drop a complaint in violent cases; you risk being charged yourself.

If you are a witness

Stay until the police arrive if it is safe. Give your contact details and your work pass number. A police statement from a witness who was there carries weight at trial.

If you were not at the scene but you have the video, share it with the police, not on Facebook first. Mass-sharing on social media can complicate a prosecution, including by giving the defence room to argue prejudicial publicity. The investigating officer's contact will be on the report once a case number is issued.

What about social media

This is the hard part for many of us. Filipino chat groups are how news spreads in this community. The Lucky Plaza video did real work: the embassy moved faster because the public moved first. There is a line though.

Do not name witnesses without consent. Do not post the victim's full name, identity card number, address, workplace, or family photos unless they have asked you to. Do not speculate about the accused's motive or his other alleged conduct beyond what the police or the prosecution has confirmed in court. Singapore has criminal defamation and contempt of court laws that apply to all of us, not only to journalists.

If you want to support, share factual reporting from STOMP, Mothership, The Straits Times, or the embassy's Facebook page. Donate to the Migrant Workers' Centre or to community groups. Show up at solidarity events if any are organised.

What to verify

For the latest on the Markandan case, the Singapore court roster and the local news outlets cited above are the source of truth. Singapore court reporting moves fast. A guilty plea, a trial date, or a sentence can all land between the time this article is published and the time you read it.

For your own safety, MOM's website at mom.gov.sg lists your rights under the Employment Act and the Foreign Manpower Act. The embassy's site at philippine-embassy.org.sg has the Assistance to Nationals contact and clinic referrals.

A clip travelled the world in a few hours. The case will take longer. The community has shown up. Now the courts decide.

Related reading

For Lucky Plaza basics, see /article/lucky-plaza-101-filipinos-guide-to-little-manila-singapore. For DMW takedown of fake OFW job ads, see /article/dmw-200000-fake-ofw-job-ads-takedown-2026-spotting-scams.

Last reviewed 27 May 2026. Court dates and outcomes change. Verify the current status of the Markandan case through Singapore court reports or local outlets before sharing.