Dubai: Two farmers have been accused of aiding a jobless man to kidnap a shepherd and take him to a desert while the jobless man is accused of raping the shepherd.

The 39-year-old Emirati man, S.S., visited his mother’s farm in Al Aweer area to take 10 sheep but the Pakistani shepherd did not allow him to do so in March. When the shepherd repeatedly refused, according to records, S.S. left the farm and went and picked up two Pakistani farmers, 21-year-old E.A. and 24-year-old S.G.

Records said the Emirati and two farmers kidnapped the shepherd, drove off to a desert area where E.A. and S.G. tied him up and pinned him down to the ground while S.S. raped him.

Prosecutors accused the trio of kidnapping the shepherd.

S.S. was solely accused of raping the shepherd.

E.A. and S.G. were charged with aiding and abetting the Emirati by immobilising the shepherd and helping in the man Emirati rape the victim. They were also accused of trespassing into the farm of S.S.’s mother.

S.S. pleaded not guilty and refuted the accusations of kidnap and rape when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday.

“I was present with him [S.S.] when the kidnap happened but I do not know where he took him. S.S. forced me to escort him … I don’t know why,” E.A. argued before presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi.

Meanwhile his accomplice, S.G. contended: “I was in the farm when S.S. brought the shepherd there but I did not assist him in the kidnapping. I do not know why he kidnapped him … and I did not know what happened inside. We did not participate with him … he forced us to go with him.”

The 30-year-old shepherd claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened shortly after he refused to allow S.S. to take 10 sheep from the farm.