SHARJAH // Two men who filed a Dh1.5 million compensation claim over injuries they say they suffered in a January 2009 alcohol bootlegging brawl had their first court hearing this morning.
The hearing at the Sharjah Court of First Instance concerned the actions of 17 Indian men who were convicted of killing a Pakistani man in the fight. The parties in the compensation case failed to resolve the dispute at a reconciliation committee last month.
"Our law firm presented to the court the power of attorney given by the 17 Indian men to us," said Bindu Suresh Chettur, the Indian men's legal representative. "This is the first hearing by the Sharjah Civil Court of the compensation case filed by the injured men."
The 17 convicted men won a reprieve from death row and had their sentences in the murder case commuted in September. The Sharjah Appeals Court waived the men's death sentence after the family of the murder victim, Misri Nazir Khan, forgave the killers in exchange for Dh3.4 million in blood money.
However, the men were not released from prison or allowed to travel back home to India after Public Prosecution referred the Sharjah appeal court's judgment to the Federal Supreme Court.
The case was transferred to the civil court when the parties refused to reconcile.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 18.
pkannan@thenational.ae
