Abu Dhabi, Sep 11 (IANS): An Indian man has been charged with stabbing to death his roommate for talking loudly on the phone.

Public prosecution records showed that the 37-year-old Indian construction worker, who was drunk, fatally stabbed the victim in his room in the March incident in Al Qusais area. The Indian was charged at the Court of First Instance, the Khaleej Times reported on Tuesday.

Prosecutors called for a stiff penalty to be inflicted on the Indian.

"I was informed by a driver about a problem involving the defendant. I went to the latter's room and saw a crowd of labourers... The victim was lying in a pool of blood. He appeared motionless with a stab wound in the abdomen," said an Indian labour accommodation supervisor.

"I heard from a group of workers that a verbal brawl ensued between the accused and the victim as the latter was talking loudly on his mobile phone", the supervisor said.

"He (the Indian man) picked a knife and stabbed the victim in the abdomen. He then pulled out the knife and rushed out."

A witness said that he saw the Indian man outside of the building. "He was apparently drunk and bleeding from between his fingers. He would not tell me how he got that injury," according to the witness.

A CCTV footage showed the accused hiding the knife under his clothes when he entered a restroom and walking out without it.

The cause of death was severe bleeding due to a deep stab wound, officials said. The trial was adjourned to October 7.