Dubai, Apr 26 (Emirates 24X7) : A petty row over switching off the light in a room shared by four workers in Jebel Ali turned violent, ending in the killing of one of them.
The dead man has been identified as Mahin Yousuf, 22, Indian, carpenter in an interior decoration company, who came to the UAE six months ago.
After the dispute over light in the room erupted, the three room-mates stabbed Mahin who died on the spot.
The people who killed Mahin were the victim’s friends and their joint photo was posted on their Facebook page only a day before the incident.
Speaking to Emirates 24|7, a senior Dubai Police official said the victim’s three roommates have been arrested.
“Some in the room wanted to sleep while others wanted to listen to radio or drink alcohol. All the four people in the room were drunk and three of them jointly killed the victim,” a senior Dubai Police official said.
The dead body has been sent to the forensic lab for further testing to decide how the person died.
“Mahin was tired and wanted to sleep while others were drinking. A fight erupted over light in the room and his friends stabbed him to death,” said a friend of the deceased.
Twelve people who worked for the interior decorations company shared two rooms in the Dubai Investment Park One, a labour accommodation pocket.
Mohammed Yousuf, 44, father of the victim, speaking on phone from his hometown of Kollam in Kerala, said he was shocked to hear the sad news and family members are yet to recover. “He was only 21 years old and went to Dubai to bail out the family from debt that the family owed to money lenders. One month after going to Dubai, he came back with a stomach pain and underwent a surgery here for appendix. The company wanted him to return soon because there were not many people to work there,” said the father.
“Mahin sent us money two or three times. I had to spend more than Rs100,000 for his surgery and air ticket to Dubai,” Yousuf said, adding that he himself had worked in Dubai for six to seven years and wanted to come again to find work because of the family’s financial problems.
“His mother did not drink or eat anything after hearing the sad news. He was too young to die and I will not forget this till my death,” the weeping father said.
“He called us on the night of April 8 and he was very happy. He spoke for a long time with his mother. The next day heard this sad news. I cannot believe that my son is no more,” he added.
“One day before he was stabbed to death, my son and his friend who stabbed him together posted a Facebook picture. My friends showed me the picture of the two together on Facebook,” the father said.
A relative of the deceased told Emirates 24|7: “Mahin did not drink or smoke when he was in India. I got a call about the stabbing incident on Thursday April 9. His family has been awaiting arrival of the dead body for a week now. He hailed from Vettoor near Varkala in Kollam district of Kerala.”