Man accused of molesting student in building’s lift

Dubai A 33-year-old man accused of groping a college student in the lift of her building pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

According to records, the Pakistani man was distributing business cards offering private Quran lessons to residents in Al Nahda area in March.

The 20-year-old Indian student had returned to her residence after classes when the man followed her into the lift.

She raised an alarm when he grabbed her. She rushed out of the lift once the doors opened and alerted her father and neighbours, who restrained the man.

When the girl’s father confronted the man, he denied groping his daughter.

Police arrived and arrested the man.

Prosecutors accused him of molesting the 20-year-old student.

At the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday, the accused denied molesting the student.

“I did not touch her,” he told presiding judge Urfan Omar.

“Why did she complain then?” the presiding judge asked him.

“Sir, I give private Quran lessons and on that particular day I spotted her in the building and gave her my business card with my contact details … in case she was interested in taking Quran lessons. I did not grope her … she just pushed me and shouted,” he replied.

The student testified to prosecutors that the incident happened once she entered the lift.

“The suspect walked in after me … then suddenly he grabbed my hand and neck. Then he groped my top before I yelled at him and pushed him away. I kept on shouting until my father and other neighbours came out. they restrained him and called the police. The suspect had claimed that he was present in the building because he was distributing his card to anyone interested in taking Quran lessons … it was the first time I had seen him around,” she claimed.

A police sergeant, who questioned the suspect, testified to prosecutors: “He alleged to me that he liked the girl and gave her his card in case she would have been interested in having sex with him … he also claimed that he was distributing his card to residents interested in learning the Quran.”

A ruling will be heard on May 25.