Lankan maid jailed for six months

Dubai: A maid who was arrested shortly before attempting to flee the country with Dh55,000 worth of her sponsor’s jewellery has been jailed for six months.

The maid was said to have taken the jewellery from her Indian sponsor’s flat and absconded.

Police arrested the 31-year-old Sri Lankan maid, D.S. outside her house in Mankhool with her luggage.

“I did not steal anything from my sponsor,” the defendant told the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Presiding judge Urfan Omar said the accused will be deported following the completion of her jail term.

The Indian businessman testified that he called up the maid to check on his children on December 12.

“The defendant did not pick up. Then my son answered my call… when I asked him about the maid, he told me that she had gone out of the flat. I suspected that something had happened. I rushed to the flat and discovered that she had absconded. When I checked on our jewellery, I discovered that she had stolen my wife’s gold,” said the businessman.

A police sergeant testified that they monitored the maid for a few days before they were informed about her plans to leave the country.

“On December 16 one of our informants spotted her carrying handbags and luggage…The defendant was arrested before she stopped a taxi. We searched her and her luggage and seized the stolen jewellery in her possession. Upon confrontation, she admitted that she took the jewellery from her sponsor and absconded from his house,” said the sergeant.

The ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.(Source: Gulf News)