Born and died on same day: Indian expat killed in Sharjah 'TikTok war' to be repatriated

Sharjah: An Indian expat, who was allegedly stabbed to death in Sharjah following what is described as a social media war on TikTok, died on his official birthday.

As reported by Gulf News earlier, Ismail Ponnan Ibrahim Kutty, 40, from Kerala, succumbed to his injuries at Al Qassimi Hospital at 8.44am on May 31, the very date recorded as his birthday on official documents. His body will now be repatriated to Kerala for his funeral, his brother confirmed to Gulf News.

Ismail, a Dubai bakery employee who was active on TikTok, was allegedly attacked by a group of men in the Al Nahda area of Sharjah in the early hours of Sunday, May 31.

According to his followers, the assault followed a heated verbal confrontation with rival TikTokers during a live session on the platform, which escalated into a street fight after both sides challenged each other to meet in person to settle the score.

His death notification, issued by Al Qassimi Hospital and a copy of which has been seen by Gulf News, states that he died from haemorrhage caused by a sharp object, leading to hypovolaemic shock.

The fact that the date of his death matched the date of birth on his official records added yet another dimension of shock to an incident that had already shaken those who knew him.

Records vs reality

However, his younger brother, who lives in Dubai and did not wish to be named, told Gulf News that while the dates appear to be the same on paper, Ismail's official birthday was not his actual day of birth.

The discrepancy apparently stems from an old practice that was once common in Kerala, where parents would register their children's birthdays in May at the time of school admission to adjust the child's age in line with school entry requirements. The practice effectively meant that many children from that generation carry an official birth date that does not match when they were actually born.

The trend came to an end when the government later made it mandatory to register births immediately after delivery, with a birth certificate becoming the required proof of age for school enrolment. As a result, many in Ismail's generation carry official dates that bear little relation to their true birthdays.

Brother's silent grief

For Ismail's younger brother, none of this diminishes the pain of losing his elder sibling in such shocking circumstances. Still struggling to come to terms with how quickly and terribly events unfolded, he said he has been doing everything he can to shield his family in Kerala from the full scale of what happened, particularly Ismail's eight-year-old son.

He said he had instructed people back home to keep his family away from news channels and social media, telling them only that Ismail had met with an accident. The weight of carrying the truth alone while managing the grief and the paperwork thousands of kilometres from home has left him overwhelmed.

Swift arrests

Sharjah Police, which had earlier confirmed to Gulf News that a number of suspects had been held, issued an official statement on Thursday providing further details of the case. The force said that all those involved were identified and arrested within just four hours of the crime being reported.

The police statement confirmed that a second victim was also injured in the attack but  survived and received medical care. While the force did not name the deceased or the accused, referring to them as Asian nationals of the same nationality, it confirmed that preliminary investigations pointed to a dispute that began online before spilling into a direct physical confrontation outside a shopping centre.

During the altercation, one of the suspects allegedly used a bladed weapon, causing the fatal and non-fatal injuries, police said. All necessary legal procedures have since been initiated against those arrested.

Sharjah Police stressed that any disputes originating on social media platforms must be resolved through legal channels and warned firmly against responding to online provocations with real-world violence.

Waiting to go home

Ismail's brother is now working through the procedures required before his brother’s mortal remains can be released for repatriation.

Salam Pappinissery, CEO of Yab Legal Services, told Gulf News that his firm is assisting the family with the process and expects it to be completed within days.