GULF TODAY

Sharjah - Feb. 11: PROMPTED by the recent attack and rape of a housewife in Sharjah's Yarmouk area, Indian nationals in the neighbourhood have started a signature campaign to get the culprit arrested and ensure better security in the locality.

The community initiative to seek the help of higher authorities follows a rise in the number of crimes in the area, the latest of them being the attack on the Indian woman last Sunday.

The mother of two was assaulted, raped and robbed by a miscreant who had apparently followed the victim on her way back from her daughter's school in the neighbourhood. The woman's second child, a two-year-old girl, was present in the flat while her husband was away at work in Dubai when the incident took place.

The signature campaign was launched among the residents, majority of who are Indian nationals. The active participation of women in the area has added to the uniqueness of the move.

Residents behind the initiative told The Gulf Today that they would be sending a mass petition to the Consul General of India in Dubai, the Ambassador of India to the UAE and the Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs in New Delhi, attaching a copy of the signatures collected.

"About 80 per cent of the residents here are Indians. We need to do something to help all the families in the locality. That is why we took the initiative to obtain the intervention of our diplomatic missions in speeding up the investigation and nabbing the accused," said Mathew Varghese, a resident of the area.

"We hope that the Indian officials here will offer their assistance to the victim, who is still in the hospital. It will be of great help to us also if we are supported by our diplomatic missions in providing proper security in the area," he said.

According to Varghese and his friends, the fear that gripped the residents following the attack, is hampering the campaign. They said the streets would remain deserted soon after dusk and many residents were scared to even open their doors when approached during late evenings.

"Because of this, we could visit houses only for a couple of hours on Friday evening. But we are getting the support from women in passing the message to their friends during daytime," said Varghese. He added that over 300 residents were likely to participate in the signature campaign.