Maid who threatened sponsor’s family jailed for three months

Grandmother hurt while protecting grandson as accused went berserk, wanting her passport back

Legal and Court Correspondent

Ahousemaid who threatened to kill herself or her sponsor and his family if he didn’t return her passport, has been jailed for three months.

In October, while the Indian sponsor was at home in Al Barsha — along with his wife, son and mother-in-law — the Nepalese housemaid, 31, rushed angrily into the living room. She yelled at her sponsor and demanded her passport because she wanted to go to her country. When her employer tried to calm her down, the defendant rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, pointing it at her belly. She threatened to kill herself, her sponsor and his family if he didn’t let her have her passport. As the defendant threatened her sponsor with the knife, the latter’s fiveyear-old son came running across the room and the maid tried to corner him. The boy’s grandmother blocked her way to protect her grandson, but sustained a knife-injury in the process.

Police apprehended the defendant shortly after the sponsor called them. Yesterday the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the housemaid. The accused will be deported after serving her sentence.