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Two held for rape of Lankan woman

ABU DHABI — Two UAE nationals were arrested on charges of kidnapping, theft, issuing threat and impersonating as police officers while one of them would face the additional charge of raping a Sri Lankan woman working in a hotel in the capital.

The Abu Dhabi General Prosecution, which is investigating the case, will refer the two accused to court once the investigations are completed.

The Sri Lankan employee was returning home after work at 3am, when she was accosted by the two, who claimed they were policemen. They asked her what she was doing at that hour, and she told them that she was returning home from work. When they insisted that she accompany them to the police station, she said she would call the hotel so that the matter can be clarified.

Before she could do that, however, the two pulled her by the hair and dragged her into the car, and when she started screaming, they pushed up the volume of the car stereo to drown her shouts. The two threatened her that she would be killed if she made any move, and the one with her on the back-seat raped her twice while the other drove around.

After committing the crime, the two dumped her naked on the road but not before snatching her gold chain, and stealing the mobile phone and Dh550 from her bag. They also threw the bag containing her hotel uniform.

Shocked by what had happened to her, the Sri Lankan somehow managed to reach home, and informed the hotel about the incident the next day. The hotel management in turn called the police, and with the help of the description of the two given by the woman, tracked them down and arrested them. She later identified the duo from an identification parade.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that the Sri Lankan was his girl friend of two years, and had accompanied him in the car of her own will. He was, however, mum when asked her name or her telephone or mobile numbers. The accused finally confessed he had raped her, stating that since it was dark and nobody could see him, he had taken advantage of her.

The accused will be charged under Article 250 of the Federal Law No 3 of 1987 pertaining to impersonating police, Article 344 for kidnapping, Article 354 for raping, Article 353 for issuing threat and Article 382 for theft.

The victim said she came to UAE three years ago, and that she works 12 hours a day to send money to her handicapped father and her two sons.

• UAE