Man arrested for sharing viral video of Dubai billionaire's wrongly parked car

Dubai - The luxury car belongs to a Dubai-based Indian tycoon who paid Dh33 million for the D5 number plate.

A man has been detained by Dubai Police after a video he uploaded online showing Balwinder Sahni's D5-branded Rolls Royce allegedly parked illegally, went viral.

According to Dubai Police, the culprit was identified and has been brought to Al Barsha Police Station.

As per the UAE Cybercrime Law No. 5 of 2012, the man could face up to six months in jail and face fines of between Dh150,000 and Dh300,000.

Earlier this week, Sahni was left "embarrassed" after a video circulated online accusing his driver of illegally parking in a disabled bay in Dubai.

The news spread quickly, as Sahni is the owner of the Dh33 million D5 number plate which he purchased at an auction last month.

After Dubai Police was alerted of the video, his driver was issued a Dh1,000 fine and four black points.

But Sahni quickly refuted the claims saying he was "not parked in the bay".

"I had many bags carrying heavy catalogues so the driver pulled up for about 30 seconds so we could load the car," he told Khaleej Times earlier.

But early on Thursday afternoon, Sahni said he got some justice.

The Dubai Police informed him that they had caught the perpetrator who uploaded the video, after Sahni filed a case against him.

"They told me he worked in Aspen Tower where the car was parked and he was arrested just an hour or so ago. He is at Al Barsha police station. What he did was a sheer violation of the cyber law."

Commenting on the arrest, he said he felt good that "swift action" had been taken.

"I feel like Dubai Police has given my rights back to me, I want to thank them."

Since the video was uploaded, Sahni said he has received hundreds of calls about the unfortunate incident which was "misconstrued to the public".

"Maybe now this will deter people from taking my picture and video and using it to create negative stories. I will never say no to people who want to take my picture but please don't use it out of context to create attention."

The video has created a lot of interest worldwide since going viral earlier this week and was picked up in Moscow and the US.

According to the UAE Cybercrime Law which was issued by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, fines can range from between Dh50,000 and Dh3 million, depending on the type of offence.

Those caught using technology to invade someone else's privacy or publish news, like in this case, can be jailed for six months and face fines of between Dh150,000 and Dh300,000.

Kelly@khaleejtimes.com

• Crime and Courts
• Dubai