Worker kills housemate over debt of Dh600

 A 31-year-old Indian worker allegedly premeditatedly killed his housemate over Dh600 that he owed him and as the victim had failed to pay to the landlord the rent that residents of the house had handed over to him, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The crime was revealed following information received by police about a partially decomposed body found among bushes on the Dubai-Al Ain road on February 2, 2014. Police found the victim’s ID in his wallet which was in his pocket and took the thumb finger print of the body which matched that  of JK, an Indian in his forties.

So the police could identify his employer, a company in Naif area and his housemates. Investigating the dead man’s housemates, police found out that his housemates had a problem with the victim because he had failed to pay to the landlord of the rents that they had handed over to him.

“We started our investigations with housemates and suspected those who had disputes with the victim.  The victim had failed to pay to the landlord rents that his housemates had handed over to him. They were asking him to pay the rent but he was not responding to them. There were disputes in this regard between the victim and his housemates. One of the suspects was KF, who in addition to the rent issue, owed the victim Dh600,” First Lieutenant Hassan Abdullah testified.

Investigators found out that all workers in the accommodation used public transport except  KF who used a car of his employer.  Housemates told investigators that they started searching for the victim who disappeared on October 12, 2013, but their search was in vain.

Police also learnt that a night before the victim went missing, KF did not sleep in the accommodation. However KF went to work on the following day.

Investigators found out that KF had passed under a Salik gate using an unusual route on the day that the victim had disappeared, so he was considered a prime suspect. Confronting KF, he denied any link to the murder. However, he admitted that a day before the victim went missing, he had asked him to transport him to Al Ain but he had dropped him at a mall off the road. The accused later admitted to killing the victim off Dubai Al Ain road.

“The accused confessed that while they were on the way to Al Ain, the victim asked the accused to stop to pass urine. He stopped off the road near the bush and then the accused asked him about the rent which the latter had failed to pay and also asked him to return the Dh600 that he owed him. The accused claimed that the victim started beating him and he responded by punching him in the face several times until he fell to the ground. He then suffocated him and dragged his body and hid it between the bushes. He kicked his head twice while saying: ‘You are a thief... you are a thief” before stepping towards the car and returning to his house,” the officer told investigators.

As the accused reached the accommodation late, he slept in the car until the following morning. Police found the victim’s mobile in the possession of the accused.

Criminal suspicions

Forensic investigators suspected criminal cause of the death as the throat of the victim had injuries that could have been happened because of pressing around the neck. However, as the body had decomposed, it was difficult to ascertain the cause of the death. 

Forensics noted that the buttons of the victim’s shirt were torn off, indicating that he was subjected to attack. Forensic also reported that the body was void of alcohol, drugs or toxic material. However, as the body had decomposed, it was difficult to check whether he had sustained injuries. It also reported that the death had happened up to six months earlier.

Dubai Prosecution noted that the accused admitted to his crime saying that he had pressed on the victim’s neck for about 30 seconds and lifted his grip when he was sure that he had died. He dragged the body into the bushes and kicked his head twice before leaving the place.

The Chief Prosecutor asked the court to implement the stiffest penalty against the accused. The accused was referred to the court on premeditated murder accusation which he denied when brought before the court.

The court adjourned the case until October 19 and ordered assigning the accused a defence lawy
 

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