A Pakistani man, found guilty of murdering an Indian couple in Dubai during a robbery attempt in 2020, has lost his appeal against the death sentence at Dubai’s highest court, according to media reports.
The man, who worked in the construction sector and was 28 years old at the time of the crime, was convicted by the Dubai Criminal Court in April 2022 for killing a businessman, Hiren Adhiya, and his wife, Vidhi.
The highest court in the emirate, Dubai Court of Cassation, has declared that the death sentence will be carried out once it receives approval from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The man tried to challenge the initial verdict, but both the Dubai Court of First Instance and the Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the decision.
During the trial, it was revealed that the man had hidden outside the couple’s residence for six hours before sneaking in through an unlocked door when the lights turned off. He stole a wallet with some cash and searched the bedroom for more valuable items.
However, when the husband woke up, the man stabbed him to death and then attacked his wife. He stabbed the husband in several places, including the head, chest, abdomen, and shoulder. The wife also suffered multiple stab wounds to her head, neck, chest, face, ear, and arm.
The couple’s oldest daughter, who was also present during the incident and got hurt, managed to contact the Dubai Police. The police arrested the man within a day in Sharjah. During questioning, he admitted to planning and carrying out the murders and stealing from them.
The convict told the police that he committed the crimes because he needed money to help his sick mother in Pakistan.
During the trial, the couple’s 18-year-old daughter testified that she heard her parents cry for help from their bedroom late at night. When she confronted the attacker at the door, he stabbed her, but she managed to kick him before he escaped.