20-year-old jailed for groping man in Dubai shop

Dubai - The 29-year-old complainant said he was with his friend in a furniture shop at 1:30pm.

A 20-year-old man, who behaved indecently towards another man at a shop, was sentenced to three months in jail by the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
Dubai prosecutors accused the Emirati man of groping the other man, also an Emirati, on August 26, 2016 at a shop in a commercial centre. A complaint was filed at Al Rashidiya police station.
The 29-year-old complainant said he was with his friend in a furniture shop at 1.30pm. "I was left shocked when a man passed by me quickly and touched me inappropriately. He left the place before I could know why he did that. I complained against him at the police station."
The complainant's 24-year-old Emirati friend said he witnessed the incident. "We chased him and tried to catch him in vain. After filing the police complaint, the police arrested the defendant's friend who was with him in the shop. They identified the accused through his friend."
A policeman said they interrogated all the persons involved. "The defendant's friend led us to him. The accused claimed he only patted on the complainant's back. His friend, however, said he saw him (the accused) inappropriately touching the other man."
The defendant denied the charge during the prosecution investigation. He said he only touched the man's back.
The defendant can appeal the ruling within 15 days.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai