Man lured, assaulted by countrymen to force him pay back a debt

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Criminal Court in Dubai handed down a sentence of one month's imprisonment, to be followed by deportation, to two Asian nationals and two others who remain at large.

The sentence was imposed for assaulting another national, stealing his mobile phone and filming him in an indecent situation.

The incident occurred in Satwa area in May of the previous year. An Asian man reported that he had been physically assaulted, had his mobile phone stolen, and was filmed in an inappropriate situation.

He explained that he had contacted one of the defendants to request assistance in repaying an outstanding debt to one of his relatives. However, the accused had lured him to Satwa area for the purpose of receiving a  a sum of money. Upon arriving at the designated location, he was met with unexpected violence from the accused and several accomplices, who resorted to physical assaults with their hands and a wooden stick. Additionally, one of the perpetrators stole his mobile phone, and forced him to disrobe, before he filmed him in that position. After that, they fled the scene, he told the police.

A police officer has stated that an investigation team was able to identify the suspects and apprehend two individuals in close proximity to the scene of the incident. These suspects were found to be in possession of the victim's phone and another phone belonging to one of them, which contained a video clip showing the victim in an indecent position.

In interrogation, the defendants denied any involvement in the crime. They claimed that the victim had stolen money from their vehicle at an earlier point in time and had refused to return it. As a result, the first and second defendants attempted to settle the matter with the victim. However, the victim refused to return the money, leading to an argument between the three parties.

The forensic laboratory report corroborated the victim's account of physical assault, indicating the presence of contusions and edema beneath the right eye, pain in the left shoulder, and a fractured nose. These findings were consistent with the victim's statements and the video footage obtained from the defendant's mobile device. The court found the defendants guilty and handed down the aforementioned sentence.