Dubai: A worker has been accused of taking a man to desert where he raped him and then choked him with a rope for posting his female relative’s photos on the internet.

The 33-year-old Pakistani worker was believed to have conspired with a 21-year-old countryman blacksmith against their 30-year-old compatriot, who had just arrived to Dubai in March.

The worker and his blacksmith friend lured the man to a car ride and drove to a desert area near Jebel Ali where the worker had forced sex with the man.

Following the rape, the Pakistani duo strangulated the victim with a rope.

Records said the worker stuffed sand inside the victim’s mouth even as the latter resisted and struggled to breathe.

After the two men confirmed that the victim had died, they covered his body with sand and rocks before driving away.

Workers living in a labour accommodation notified their supervisor about a stink coming from a nearby spot, according to records, before the deceased’s body was found buried under the sand.

Policemen and crime scene investigators were summoned to the area where the corpse was found covered with sand and rocks except the legs.

Forensic examiners confirmed that the body was partly decomposed; the fingers had been eaten by stray animals and different parts of the body eaten by worms.

Primary police interrogations exposed the involvement of the blacksmith, who was apprehended.

Prosecutors accused the worker, who remains at large, and the blacksmith of premeditatedly killing the victim.

According to the charges sheet, prosecutors said the fugitive suspect conspired with his countryman in driving the victim to the desert where they tied his hands and legs and strangulated him to death after raping him. The 21-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusations when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

“I had nothing to do with the murder. The other suspect is the one who killed the victim because of a previous dispute and ran away from the country,” argued the suspect as he defended himself before presiding judge Shaikha Hamad.

A police lieutenant told prosecutors that the blacksmith admitted during questioning that he abetted the fugitive in killing the victim.

“He alleged that the worker was angry at the victim because he had reportedly posted photos of his female relatives on the internet.” the lieutenant testified.

Presiding judge Hamad said the court will appoint a lawyer to defend the suspect when it reconvenes on October 16.