Insane technician cleared of gun threats

DUBAI: A man who intercepted RTA bus drivers while brandishing a bogus pistol threatening to shoot them for alleged overspeeding was on Wednesday pronounced insane.

The Asian technician, 35, armed himself with his daughter’s plastic toy pistol on Mar.2. He stashed it under his coat and drove to a Roads and Transport Authority bus station in the Dubai Global Village.

A Bangladeshi driver said, “Passengers were entering when he showed up and ordered me to open the window. He vowed to kill me if I sped again. he showed a firearm under his Coat. I was scared.”

An Indian driver said, “I was driving through the station when he jumped in front of the bus. I hit the brakes. He told me to open the window and demanded to know whether I had wanted to kill him.

“I was trying to deny when he pulled out A firearm AND threatened to shoot me to death if I sped again. I got very frightened.” A Pakistani driver complained, “I was also driving when he came walking.

“He stood in front of the bus brandishing a pistol. He asked why I was speeding. I told him I was driving slowly. He banged the window.” Their supervisor told them to run to a sergeant in the vicinity.

THE YEMENI sergeant testified that the fear-stricken drivers came shouting that there was an armed assailant inside the station. They pointed him to the technician. He alerted the Dubai Police operations room.

“He was marauding within the station. I stealthily followed him until he entered his car. I confiscated his driving Licence and Car ownership certificate. A criminal investigations team arrived,” explained the sergeant.

“On being confronted he argued that he had seen the bus drivers overspeeding in a manner that put his life and that of commuters at risk. He pulled out his daughter’s toy pistol, intercepted them and told them to slow down.”

The Dubai Criminal Court’s jury presided by Judge Mohamed Jamaal Kaamil pronounced that he was not legally responsible for his actions. The jury ordered he be referred to a therapeutic center for necessary treatment.