Singapore, Aug 14 (IANS): An Indian national was Thursday sentenced to 25 months in jail, becoming the sixth Indian to be convicted for last year's riots here.

A district court heard that Samiyappan Sellathurai, a former construction worker, had smashed a concrete slab, threw pieces of concrete in the direction of public servants and public service vehicles, and used a metal rack to smash against a wall, Today Online reported.

The riots were sparked off in the Little India locality after an Indian, Sakthivel Kumaravel, was run over by a bus. This was the worst outbreak of violence in the country in more than four decades.

The court also heard that Sellathurai also instigated other people to participate in the riots.

The court heard that although Sellathurai was on the run for some time, he was arrested at the Changi Airport here Dec 15 last year while trying to board a flight for India.

Describing Sellathurai to be an "instigator", assistant public prosecutor Dillon Kok pressed for a 24-30 months' jail sentence with three strokes of the cane.