Dubai labourer murdered man who wanted to marry sister, court hears

DUBAI // A labourer murdered a man who wanted to marry his sister, a court heard today.

RR, 31, from India, struck his compatriot Sinteel Kumar Peromal Peromal with a metal bar and finished him off by stabbing him twice in the neck with a screwdriver, prosecutors told the Criminal Court.

He then hid the body in a big plastic bag and dumped it in Nad Al Sheba.

Prosecutors said that on February 14 the labourer had asked Mr Peromal to accompany him on a drive in his bus so they could sort out their differences over the courtship. He drove Mr Peromal to an area near Al Khail Mall where the two got out of the vehicle and fought. The labourer hit Mr Peromal with a metal bar, fracturing his skull. When he noticed Mr Peromal was still breathing he stabbed him twice in the neck. The court heard the blows with the screwdriver were so hard they left "visible holes" in the neck.

After dumping the body the labourer returned home, showered and ate. He cleaned the blood stains off his bus the next day.

Two days later, the bag was found. Police matched tyre prints at the scene to the labourer's bus and arrested him.

Police Captain MA, 33, said that the dead man's identity card was found in the labourer's underpants.

He said the labourer confessed. "He said the reason behind the murder was because of a dispute over a girl back in India but he did not explain more," said the captain.

Prosecutors said the labourer had planned the murder.

TA, 21, a colleague of the labourer, said he believed the dispute was because the labourer did not approve of the dead man's wish to marry his sister-in-law.

The labourer came into his room on February 15 and gave him a mobile phone. "He asked me to hide it and use it if I wanted to," recalled the colleague, noting that the labourer returned a few hours later and took the mobile back.

"He took it and hid it in the false ceiling while demanding that I say nothing about it," said the colleague.

In court the labourer did not enter a plea. The next hearing was scheduled for September 24 to appoint a defence lawyer.