Dubai: A worker has been accused of getting drunk and groping a woman while she was pressing the elevator button at a shopping mall in Deira.
The 27-year-old Indian worker, M.T., was said to have been waiting for the lift when the 35-year-old Filipina walked in front of him and pressed the elevator button. When the door opened, he groped her in May.
Prosecutors accused M.T. of molestation and consuming alcohol.
The defendant denied the accusation of groping the woman when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
“I did not molest her. I touched her by mistake and not intentionally. I consumed a beer,” the suspect told presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat in court. According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect intended to molest the woman when he touched her with the palm of his hand.
The Filipina claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened at the elevator of the offload bay at the mall at 9.20pm.
“When I arrived at the elevator, the suspect was standing there waiting for it to come down. I pressed the button and waited beside the suspect. Once the elevator arrived and the door opened, I walked in before the defendant when he suddenly groped me. I rushed out immediately. I yelled at him then I started calling for help and for the security guards. The suspect panicked and tried to press all the buttons of the lift to go up. The guards arrived in a few seconds and they pulled him out,” the woman testified.
Records said the security guard instantly called the police who came to the location and apprehended M.T.
The suspect was cited as telling prosecutors that he consumed liquor and touched the woman by mistake.
Presiding judge Abdul Lat will hand out a judgement soon.
