UAE research assistant missing for 3 days found dead in car

A research assistant working at a university in the UAE, has been found dead in a car parked near a warehouse in Al Ain.

The discovery of the body comes three days after Nithin Padmanabhan, 26, Research Assistant at the Biology Department of the UAE University of Al Ain, was reported missing.

Padmanabhan had just returned from his hometown of Sultanbattery in Wayanad, Kerala, India and was yet to resume duty.

“Nithin came to the UAE about six months ago from Singapore. He was missing since Wednesday and all calls to his mobile phones were not answered,” said an Indian social worker in Al Ain.

According to friends, Nithin sought the help of  a colleague to rent a car from Al Ain on Tuesday.

“He had just got his driving license and wanted to rent a car. His colleague helped to take a car on rent.

“On Tuesday night he was with three other friends and at around 10.30pm when the other friends left, he was waiting for an unknown person in front of a jewellery store in Al Ain. These visuals are recorded on CCTVs in the area,” sources told this website.

His friends lodged a complained with the Al Madina Police Station in Al Ain and on Saturday 12.30pm, his body was found in the car parked in an isolated warehouse in Al Ain.

“An Asian driver was trying to open the warehouse, but found a car parked in front of the warehouse blocking his way. When he went down to ask the driver to remove the car, he found the body, partially doused in petrol. He immediately informed the police and the body was identified as that of Nithin,” sources said.

His friends and colleagues were questioned and released by police, but the search is on for the unknown person he was waiting for on Tuesday night.

“His family is totally shattered after hearing the sad news. He is survived by his father Padmanabhan, mother Rukmini and a brother who is a student in Coimbatore,” family sources said.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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