Three Indian men cleared of locking 19 Filipinas in Dubai

Three Indian men, accused of locking up 19 women hotel workers from the Philippines in a villa here, were today acquitted of the charge.
The men, identified as SS, a 41-year-old electrician, KM, a 61-year-old supervisor and KA, a 54-year-old cook, were cleared by a court here after it ruled that no crime had been committed.
The trio was accused of locking up the 19 Filipinas, who worked for the same hotel, from sunset to sunrise at the employees' house in Al Mutainah. The Filipinas worked as receptionists, housekeepers, cleaners and maids.
The court ruled that the Filipinas were not forced to stay in the villa, Gulf News reported.

"The women were not deemed as victims as they had shown willingness and consent to stay in the residence," according to the ruling.
Records said as soon as the women finished work, the trio would lock them inside the villa and keep them inside until the following morning.

Prosecutors said SS, KM and KA breached the Filipinas' rights and freedom by locking them up unlawfully for one month.
The trio pleaded not guilty.
Today's ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
Records earlier cited the Indians admitting that they kept the women inside the villa for their own safety and to protect them from being harassed by bachelors, who lived nearby.

One of the housekeepers, 30-year-old MN, said she had been working for the hotel in Al Muraqqabat for two years.
"I was hired on a Dh600 salary. Since I started work, the senior workers told me that it was against the hotel's policy to go out of the residence during free time or after work or on holidays," MN told prosecutors.
"Our shift was from 8am to 8pm. As soon as we returned to the residence, the defendants would lock the doors and prevent us from going out. We were forced to agree because we had no other choice and we were forced also to be obedient to earn a living.

"However, they used to take us out one day a month to go shopping under the supervision of one of the company's supervisors and we used to be kept under surveillance...Even during official holidays we remained confined. During the confinement period, nobody treated us badly," MN said.
A 31-year-old cleaner confirmed MN's statement adding that she and her colleagues were forced to agree to remain locked up to earn a living. She was hired on a Dh700 salary.