Dubai: Gang accused of strangling businessman to death in villa robbery case
The Dubai Criminal Court started hearing the case of five men accused of killing a 55-year-old Indian businessman during a recent robbery at the victim's villa in Al Wuhaida area.
According to case files, the defendants — all of Pakistani nationality — allegedly stormed the victim's residence, tied him up, and assaulted him with a blunt object before strangling him to death. The motive was theft, prosecutors told the court, adding that a safe containing cash, passports, and jewellery was stolen from the bedroom.
The case came to light when the victim's son returned home around 9.30pm and found his father unresponsive. He told investigators that he tried to reach his father multiple times by phone earlier in the evening. Upon entering the room, he discovered the body and noticed the safe was missing.
Police teams were dispatched immediately, including forensic experts and CID officers. Surveillance footage from the villa's security cameras showed three of the accused entering the premises at around 4pm on the day of the crime. Twenty minutes later, they were seen leaving with a medium-sized safe.
The forensic report submitted to the court confirmed the victim suffered multiple injuries and was ultimately strangled after resisting the attackers.
Investigations led to the arrest of three suspects within the country. Two others were apprehended at an airport in their home country in coordination with international authorities and later extradited to the UAE.
One of the defendants claimed during interrogation that he acted only as the driver and was unaware of the full extent of the plan. He told prosecutors that after the robbery, the group travelled to a farm in another emirate, where they broke open the safe and divided its contents.
All five defendants confessed during questioning and have been referred to trial on charges of premeditated murder and theft.
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