Indian-origin former lawyer who represented death row inmates dies in Singapore

Ravi, 56, practised law for more than 25 years, representing death row inmates and supporting the abolition of the death penalty, The Straits Times, a Singapore daily, reported.

Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006.

At 5:41 am local time, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call to attend an urgent case in an apartment, the report said. When police reached the location, the man who had called said that Ravi “had taken drugs a few hours earlier” and added that he was showing concerning symptoms.

Ravi, who was unconscious, was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, the police informed that Ravi’s friend has been arrested by the Central Narcotics Bureau for a suspected drug-related offence.

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Who was Ravi Madasamy?

Ravi Madasamy graduated from the National University of Singapore and went to Britain to study law. In 2019, he founded his own law firm, M Ravi Law. He dedicated his life to advocating for human rights, decriminalisation of homosexuality and the abolition of the death penalty.

Ravi also had several brushes with the law, including being fined for disorderly behaviour in 2004 and being sentenced to 4 weeks’ jail in 2024. In 2006, he was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

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Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, who had previously served as Ravi’s counsel, said that he “was a man who stood up for and fought hard in court for what he believed in”.

“He has contributed to and will be missed by the legal profession,” The Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, the police said that they don’t suspect foul play and that the cause of death can be confirmed only after the post-mortem.