Dubai: A manager was jailed for life yesterday for kidnapping and raping a jobseeker in his flat after claiming he was taking her for a job interview.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 24-year-old Indian manager, K.M., of kidnapping with deception, having sex with the woman against her will and threatening to have her gang-raped by his friends.
Prosecutors said K.M. tricked the girl, M.F., into thinking she was being taken for a job interview and instead he locked her inside an apartment and raped her.
"No… that is untrue. It did not happen. I did not kidnap or rape her," K.M. said when he defended himself in court.
Threats
According to the charge sheet, K.M. kidnapped with deception M.F., who came on a visit visa looking for a job in Dubai. He was accused of forcibly throwing M.F. on a bed and raping her after verbally threatening her.
"Her claims were groundless. I did not threaten to have my friends gang-rape her," he told Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi earlier.
His lawyer told the court his client denied the charge of rape and said he had consensual sex with the woman.
The woman testified that the incident happened shortly after she posted on an online recruitment website.
"I went with my sister to meet K.M. in Ibn Battuta Mall. He took me for a job interview at the company. The flat was a residence. When I called my sister because I suspected the situation, he took away my phone and switched it off," she said.
Reported to police
"My friend called me on my other line… he told my friend that everything was OK. He switched off my second phone. He threatened that his friends, who waited downstairs, would gang-rape me if I refused to have sex with him. He raped me although I tried to stop him," added M.F.
Prosecution records said K.M. drove M.F. back to the mall. When her sister saw her crying they reported the police.
Wednesday's ruling is subject to appeal within 15 days.
