Worker sentenced to death for rape, murder

Ruling in absentia against absconder who killed victim for posting relative’s photo online

Legal and Court Correspondent

Aworker has been sentenced to death for taking a man into the desert where he raped him and then asphyxiated him with a rope for posting his female relative’s photos on the internet.

The 33-year-old Pakistani worker conspired with his 21-year-old countryman blacksmith against the 30-year-old victim, who had just arrived in Dubai last March.

The murderer and his blacksmith friend lured the Pakistani victim to go on a drive and drove to a desert area near Jebel Ali where the 33-year-old indulged in forcible sex with the victim. After the rape, the Pakistani defendants strangled the man with a rope.

Concealing evidence

The 33-year-old accused stuffed sand into the victim’s mouth as the latter resisted the attack and struggled to breathe.

After making sure the victim had died, they covered his body with sand and rocks before driving off.

The Court of First Instance sentenced the convict in absentia to death for raping and killing the victim.

“He will also spend two years in jail for robbing the deceased,” said presiding judge Mohammad Jamal. According to yesterday’s judgement, judge Jamal handed the 21-year-old accomplice 10 years in jail for the premeditated murder and an additional year in jail for theft.

The accomplice will be deported after serving his punishment.

The crime came to light when workers who live in a labour accommodation at Jebel Ali notified their supervisor about a foul smell coming from a nearby spot before the victim’s body was found.

Crime scene investigators were summoned to the area where the victim’s corpse was found. The body was partly decomposed, and stray animals had eaten the fingers and different parts of the body.

Blacksmith conspirator

Primary police interrogations exposed the involvement of the Pakistani blacksmith, who was arrested.

According to the chargesheet, prosecutors said the fugitive suspect conspired with his countryman in driving the victim to the desert where they tied his hands and legs and strangled him after the 33-year-old had raped him.

The 21-year-old accused pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusations.

“I was not involved in the murder. The fugitive [33-year-old accused] is the one who killed the victim because of a previous dispute. He fled from the city,” argued the defendant.