Deceased Indian employee's family gets Dh200,000 in diya

Sharjah - A Dh10,000 fine has also been imposed on the accused for causing the death of the grocery staff.

The Sharjah Court of Appeal has upheld the verdict by the Sharjah Court of Misdemeanor against an Emirati, sentenced to one-year imprisonment and a Dh10,000 fine for causing the death of an Indian grocery staff who died while resisting the fraudulent customer.
The family of the deceased Indian employee will also get blood money (diya) of Dh 200,000, that they will use to complete the dream home the victim had been slowly building in his home town of Chalischerry Panchayat in Palghat district Kerala.
Mohammed Aboobaker (45), a sales staff at Al Raheem Grocery in the emirate's Al Hasana area was severely injured and hospitalised for 20 days, after which he succumbed to his head injuries. Indian social workers and legal professionals from the Mohammed Al Salman Advocates Group have been trying to get justice for Aboobaker and his family, for whom he had been the sole breadwinner.
The tragedy occurred in July 2015, when Aboobaker was just 10 minutes away from closing his shop at 10 pm, when a group of men drove up in a four-wheel drive outside the grocery and ordered telephone cards worth Dh450. When he delivered the cards, the customer tried to flee the scene without paying. The salesman, attempting to prevent their escape, tried to hold on to the vehicle, but he got trapped and was dragged by the vehicle at high speed for about 100 metres after falling and hitting his head on the road.
The fall to the ground caused severe head injuries. He was first admitted to Sharjah Hospital and then moved to Umm Al Quwain Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries after 20 days. In a sadder turn of events, Aboobaker's wife and other family members could not afford the flight ticket to Sharjah, and he passed away without any family by his side.
The fradulent customer who caused the accident tried to escape but Sharjah Police arrested him after a complaint was lodged by the grocery owner in Al Wasit Police Station. Legal proceedings went on for over a year, before the verdict was passed on June 28, 2016 and was then appealed by the defendant. On December 14, the Appeal Court upheld the previous judgment.
Eight years after coming to the UAE to earn a living and fulfil his dream of building his own home, Aboobaker met an untimely demise. His family - including his sick father - has been living in a hurriedly-made single room on top of the foundation for the bigger house. Aboobaker is survived by his wife and children.
Since the incident, the Sharjah Police have also alerted groceries to be vigilant against fradulent customers who place orders from their vehicles and try to drive away without paying.
- sathish@khaleejtimes.com