Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Many held over murder of Nepali labourer in Dubai

Kathmandu, Nov 8 - The Dubai Police has arrested many Asian nationals in connection with the killing of a Nepali labourer in Dubai last week, a news report said.

Beeshu Raj, 23, a Nepali labourer working in the Arabtech Company labour camp in Jebel Ali, was allegedly beaten to death by fellow workers following a riot in the camp last Thursday night. Six others were injured in the fight.

Police on Sunday arrested 30 Asian nationals allegedly involved in the murder of Raj, reported the online edition of Khaleej Times. Earlier, the police had arrested nine Nepalis, seven Indians and a Pakistani in connection with the killing.

However, none of the arrested persons who were referred to the Criminal Investigation Department of Dubai Police had confessed to the crime, the report said citing police sources. One of the arrested workers, however, has reportedly said he saw nine persons beating Raj to death.

“The fight started on Thursday night in the canteen of the labour camp and later spread to the rest of the camp, when Nepali and Indian nationals fought each other as two groups,” the website quoted an eyewitness as saying

The police was immediately summoned to the site. But the two police patrols who arrived at the camp had a rough time controlling the mob of some 200 workers armed with wooden shafts and stones, and had to summon the Emergency Team of Dubai Police, according to the report.

The rioters hid themselves in their rooms but the police evacuated the 4,500 labourers residing in three buildings located in the compound, and arrested those involved in the fight.

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