By Staff Reporter
Seventeen years after an Indian national was killed in Abu Dhabi, allegedly over unpaid phone bills amounting to just Dh300, India’s top investigative agency has finally filed a charge sheet against the alleged killer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) posted the update on June 27 via X confirming that it had launched local prosecution against the accused, Inder Jit Singh, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
The case dates back to August 28, 2008, when Singh allegedly stabbed fellow Indian Rama Lingam Natesan to death in the UAE capital following a dispute over international SIM cards. According to CBI, Natesan used to sell SIM cards on credit to Singh, who defaulted on payments over time. The total outstanding amount reached Dh300.
When Natesan asked Singh’s employer to deduct the dues from his salary, Singh allegedly hatched a plan to kill him. He reportedly assaulted Natesan with a sharp knife, inflicting fatal injuries.
The CBI said it coordinated with the UAE authorities and India’s Ministry of External Affairs to gather admissible evidence. With sanction from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the agency has now filed a formal charge sheet in a special court in New Delhi.
In a related development, the CBI has also charged another Indian national, Subhash Chander Mahla, for murdering his employer in Bahrain in 2011. Mahla, who worked as a driver, allegedly attacked his employer with a blunt instrument after being “aggrieved by his misbehaviour,” according to the CBI. He has been charged under Sections 302 and 404 of the IPC.
The agency said both prosecutions were launched at the request of UAE and Bahraini authorities and reflect its commitment to holding Indian nationals accountable for crimes committed overseas.
“As the nodal agency to launch local prosecution, the CBI continues its efforts to bring culprits to face law and fulfil India’s international obligations,” the agency said in a statement.
