Housemaid accused of using kitchen knife to steal money

Sharjah: A housemaid, who worked for a family of nine in Sharjah, allegedly threatened a housewife with a kitchen knife before stealing money and fleeing.

The housemaid, 31, was on the sponsorship of the Emirati family, an official at Sharjah police told Gulf News.

The incident took place on Monday morning when the housewife and her baby were alone at home with their Bengali housemaid.

Officials confirmed the woman’s husband had gone to work and their six children were at school.

The housewife was breastfeeding her baby when she heard the door being locked from the outside.

Using her spare key she opened the door and claims she saw her housemaid holding a kitchen knife.

The mother told police the maid then chased her with the knife.

She took her baby back inside the room and locked the door, before shouting to neighbours for help from the window.

“The housemaid began to threaten and frighten the housewife, telling her to give her money or she would kill her”, the official said.

The housewife told how she gave a sum of money and her mobile phone to the maid — sliding them under the door.

A police official added that the housemaid then allegedly fled the house with the cash and phone.

The housewife stayed in the room for an hour, afraid to leave in case the maid was still hiding in the house.

She eventually left and ran to her neighbour’s house where she called police and alerted her husband — both arrived on the scene.

It is not clear whether police have as yet arrested the housemaid.