Indian worker in UAE arrested for molesting school girl

An Indian construction worker in the UAE has been arrested and facing trial for allegedly groping a 14-year-old school girl here last year, according to a media report.

Prosecutors accused the 32-year-old Indian man of being drunk when he touched the girl as she was walking at a metro station on October 20 last year, the Khaleej Times reported on Thursday.

The man, who was not named in the report, has denied the molestation charge at the Court of First Instance, claiming he touched her by mistake.

During the public prosecution investigation, the victim said she was busy putting cash in her bag when she was caught off guard by the accused.

She said he did it on purpose and kept walking. She did not yell at him or scream for help as she felt shocked and scared. The girl immediately reported him to the metro ticketing employee, the report said.

A police corporal said he was on duty at 1 pm on the day of the incident when the ticketing employee approached him.

"He had the defendant and the girl with him. He told me that the man molested her," the officer said.

Later, the police officer took them to the police point and questioned the defendant there.

"He admitted that he sexually harassed her. I informed the on-duty officer and the defendant was then taken to Bur Dubai police station," the police officer was quoted as saying to the prosecutor.

A footage taken from the CCTV cameras at the metro station captured the defendant getting very close to the girl and touching her.

While the date for sentencing of the accused has been set on February 13, he has been fined Dh 2,000(Rs 38,659) for consuming alcohol without a permit, the report said.