Dubai: An employee has been accused of stabbing his flatmate with a knife in his back and causing him a permanent disability after the latter asked him to stop drinking liquor.
The 45-year-old Bangladeshi flatmate was said to have walked in to the flat that he shared with others and saw the 53-year-old Indian employee drinking alcohol in December.
The flatmate then asked the employee to stop drinking in the flat, according to records, before he got into a heated argument and walked out at 9pm.
When the 45-year-old returned to the flat later, he was walking in the corridor when the 53-year-old took him by surprise and stabbed him in his back, said records.
The 45-year-old man also sustained a knife wound in his palm as he defended himself when the employee tried to stab him a second time in his belly.
Other flatmates intervened once they heard the 45-year-old shouting in pain and restrained the 53-year-old.
Police were called in to the flat and the Bangladeshi was rushed to hospital.
Prosecutors accused the suspect of assaulting the 45-year-old with a knife and causing him a 25 per cent permanent disability.
The 53-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
“I was defending myself as it was a mutual assault,” he contended before presiding judge Shaikha Hamad.
The 45-year-old flatmate claimed to prosecutors that the suspect stabbed him because he had asked him to stop drinking alcohol in the flat.
“He stabbed me in the back and when he tried to stab me in the front, I stopped him and injured my palm. Flatmates stopped him and I was taken to hospital,” he testified to prosecutors.
A ruling will be heard on October 24.
