Man who strangled to death co-worker over debt caught by Dubai Salik gate, court hears

The Indian defendant was caught after his company car was found to have diverted from its daily route on the day of Jeyaraman Kronaniti's death.

DUBAI // A man who strangled his co-worker to death over a Dh600 debt was caught when the company car he was driving was found to have passed a Salik gate outside its normal work route, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Wednesday.

Indian K F, 31, is charged with the premeditated murder of his compatriot Jeyaraman Kronaniti by punching him several times on the head then strangling him to death and dumping his body in a deserted area on the Dubai-Al Ain Road on October 12 last year. He denies the charge.

Emirati policeman K A, 27, told the court the partly decomposed body of the 40-year-old was found several days after his death.

“His ID card was on him, which helped us know who he was and where he worked, so we started investigating with his colleagues, who said that they were looking for him,” said the officer.

Investigations revealed that all the company’s workers used public transport to and from work, except for the defendant, who was driving a company car.

“We checked the car’s trips in the past few days and found that it has a special daily route but, on October 12, the day on which the deceased disappeared, it has taken a different route and passed under a Salik gate that it doesn’t usually take, so we suspected that he might be involved in the murder somehow,” said K A.

The defendant was taken into custody and interrogated. He denied any knowledge of Kronaniti’s death, saying on that day the victim had asked him for a lift to Al Ain, but he only took him as far as Dubai Outlet Mall.

Police lieutenant H H told the court: “Soon, he confessed to killing the man after the two had a fight. He said that, on the way, the deceased asked him to stop on the side of the road because he needed to relieve himself.

“The defendant stopped near some trees and, as the victim stood a bit away, he started asking him about a Dh600 he had once lent him. The victim got furious and assaulted K F who, in return, assaulted the man back and sat on his chest then strangled him. When he found him dead, he dragged his body and threw it among some trees then left.”

The lieutenant added that the accused threw away some food and sweets the victim had with him, then slept in the car overnight before going to the room he rented the following morning.

The victim’s mobile phone was found in K F’s room, records showed.

Prosecutors said that the accused confessed to killing his countryman and that he only strangled him for less than 30 seconds while repeating the words “you’re a thief”.

However, K F denied the charge at Dubai Criminal Court.

The next hearing is on October 19 to assign a defence lawyer.