Shillong, July 5: A Pakistani man convicted of murdering an Indian couple during a break-in and robbery attempt in Dubai in 2020 has lost his appeal against the death sentence.
The 28-year-old construction worker was found guilty of killing businessman Hiren Adhiya and his wife Vidhi, both in their 40s, by the Dubai Criminal Court in April of last year.
The Dubai Court of Cassation, the highest court in the emirate, stated that the sentence would be executed once it receives approval from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in accordance with criminal procedures law, according to The National newspaper.
Appeals were made to the Dubai Court of First Instance and the Dubai Court of Appeal, but both courts upheld the initial verdict.
During the trial, it was revealed that the man had hidden outside the couple’s residence in Mirador, Arabian Ranches, for six hours before entering through an unlocked patio door when the lights were off. He stole a wallet containing Dh1,965 ($535) and proceeded to search for more valuables in the bedroom.
When Hiren woke up, the man fatally stabbed him before attacking his wife. Forensic reports indicated that Hiren was stabbed ten times in the head, chest, abdomen, and left shoulder, while his wife sustained 14 stab wounds in the head, neck, chest, face, ear, and right arm.
The couple’s eldest daughter, who suffered minor injuries, managed to contact the Dubai Police, leading to the man’s arrest in Sharjah within 24 hours. During questioning, he admitted to the premeditated murder of the couple, attempted murder of their daughter, and theft.
The man specifically targeted the Gujarati couple’s house due to his prior knowledge of the cash and valuables he had observed while working there as part of a maintenance team in December 2019.
The National reported that the man, while being interrogated, admitted to the premeditated murder, attempted murder, and theft. He mentioned that his mother in Pakistan had fallen ill, and he committed the crime to arrange money for her.
The couple’s eldest daughter, who was 18 years old at the time, testified in court that she heard cries for help from her parents’ bedroom around 1:30 a.m. She confronted the perpetrator at the door, where she was stabbed but managed to kick him before he fled the scene.