DUBAI // A 75-year-old man performing late prayers last Ramadan was offered a lift home by a driver who instead kidnapped him, robbed him at knifepoint and hit him with a metal bar, a court heard today.
HS, a 21-year-old from Pakistan, denied the charges.
Prosecutors charged him with kidnapping an elderly person, robbery, assault and issuing threats.
The court heard that MH had finished his Traweeh prayers in a mosque in Al Quoz 1 around 10pm on August 18 when he was approached by HS, who spoke to him nicely and offered him a lift home.
MH accepted the offer, but suspected something was wrong when the driver took an unexpected turn. "He took a different road towards a sandy patch then stopped the car," MH said.
Prosecutors said that HS then drew a knife and ordered MH to hand over his cash - Dh1,000 - and the rest of his possessions. He then hit the man with a metal bar and threatened to kill him before driving off.
Court records did not show how the police were notified, but mentioned that an ambulance took MH to Rashid hospital for treatment.
MH was unable to remember the vehicle licence plate number.
The next hearing will be on March 29.
salamir@thenational.ae
