Dubai: A vet has been jailed for three months for assaulting a police interrogator and cleared of stalking a woman inside a lift and groping her.
The 21-year-old Iranian woman had just left a friend’s place when she came across the 27-year-old Egyptian and his friend in a building’s lift in October.
The woman was reported to have been using her phone when the two Egyptian men walked in behind her in a building at Al Maktoum Street.
Once she finished her call, the 27-year-old man asked her if she is Egyptian, but she replied that she is Iranian.
The Iranian claimed that the Egyptian vet slapped her face and groped her after she refused to give him her phone number.
It was further reported that the 27-year-old man continued groping the woman nearly five minutes until the lift stopped and the friend went out.
The man spoke dirty with her and coerced her to give him her number and which she finally did as she was too frightened.
Police summoned the vet for questioning shortly after the Iranian woman lodged a complaint.
When asked to provide the memory card of his mobile phone, the 27-year-old removed it and chewed the SIM and memory cards before he assaulted the interrogating officer.
On Tuesday, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the defendant for three months for the policeman’s assault.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, presiding judge Mohammad Jamal acquitted the defendant of groping the Iranian woman and stalking her.
The accused will be deported after serving his punishment. The 27-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusations in court.
The woman told prosecutors that the defendant shouted at her and slapped her to make her reveal her phone number.
“His friend did not stop him from stalking or groping me. While touching me indecently, I was too scared to shout. He also asked me how much did I take from the person I had visited, hinting that I am a sex worker. I was scared and had to give him my number. When the watchman wanted to enter the lift at the first floor, the suspect tried to prevent him … but he failed to do so and the watchman forced himself inside.,” she told prosecutors.
A policeman said the defendant pushed him and tore his kandoura when he tried to search him.
“He refused to give us his memory or SIM cards … then he removed them and chewed them. He then shouted saying ‘I won’t let you take my SIM card even if you slaughter me’,” he told prosecutors.
When he appeared in court, the defendant refuted what he described as the woman’s unfounded and malicious allegations.
The ruling remains subject to appeal.
