A 26-year-old Indian engineer in the UAE, who sneaked into the Sharjah International Airport runway to catch a plane to meet his fiancee back home, is not regretting his actions, saying he acted out of love, a media report said today.
The civil engineer, identified only as RK, was arrested by the Sharjah Police after he climbed the airport wall and breached the runway, in an attempt to board a plane without his passport, which was being held by his employer.
"I want to say I'm a free man and our life is ours. I did this act because I wanted to travel back to India to meet my fiancee, whatever the price I have to pay," he told the Khaleej Times.
It was not clear when the incident took place.
During the hearing at the Sharjah Sharia Court, presided by Judge Mahamood Abu Baker, the accused said that on the day of the incident, he left behind all his belongings in his flat, taking only his wallet and went to the airport at night.
He climbed the fence and sneaked on to the runway, to try and enter a plane. He had not bought a ticket as his passport was being kept by the company he worked for, the report said.
He said he decided to take the chance to either try and travel without his passport, or if caught in the process, he would be tried in court, get his passport and be deported from the UAE anyway.
RK says he was spotted by a luggage loader, after which he was arrested and taken into police custody in minutes and subsequently released on bail, the report said.
He told the paper that he was in a grave situation in the UAE as he loved his fiancee but was unable to go meet her. He claimed he had approached his company over 15 times to get permission for a visit home, but his relative who also manages the firm refused to give him permission.
"I cannot live without my fiancee and want to convince my parents to give us permission to marry," he said, indicating that his parents did not approve of the alliance. But his fiancee's parents do not have any such issues.
RK added that he had no regrets at having to face legal action now, but only wants to be free to go home and get married after everything has blown over.
He was only angry at the fact that his company held his passport against his will, in violation of the UAE law.
Passports should only be held by the employer for a limited period, while renewing or cancelling visas and if done otherwise, it is a clear violation of the international and UAE labour laws, the paper said.
