Dubai A welder has been accused of posting offensive remarks in which he insulted Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on his Facebook page, a court heard on Sunday.
A grocery store worker was surfing his Facebook page when he noticed the slanderous remarks allegedly posted by the 31-year-old Indian welder in November.
The Indian worker reported the matter to Al Rashidiya police station, according to records.
The worker knew where the welder lived and guided the police to his residence, from where the 31-year-old was apprehended.
When he was first questioned by the police, the welder claimed to police investigators that his phone had been hacked and that someone had posted those comments on his Facebook page.
Prosecutors accused the suspect of using Facebook to insult the Prophet.
The suspect did not enter a plea when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday since presiding judge Mohammad Jamal did not level the charge against him.
Presiding judge Jamal adjourned the case until prosecutors review the accusation sheet and hand out a modified one on March 21.
When questioned by prosecutors, the suspect claimed his phone had been hacked and that he had not posted those comments on Facebook.
The Indian worker testified to interrogators that a Facebook user informed him that he knew the person who had posted the comments and sent him his [the suspect] address.
“I headed to the address of the suspect, who lives near a mosque in Al Rashidiya … the man was drunk and I felt angry because he had cursed and offended the Prophet. Therefore, I reported the matter to the nearest police station,” he said.
Prosecution records said Dubai Police’s criminal investigation report did not confirm that the suspect’s Facebook account had been hacked or whether he was the one who had personally posted the comments.