RAS AL KHAIMAH // Neighbours smelt an awful stench for days before they realised something had gone horribly wrong.
The stench became so strong that eventually someone called the police. What the officers found left the neighbourhood in shock.
MORE ON THE RAK FAMILY TRAGEDY
Suicide concern over Indian professionals Financial burden on many expatriate Indians is 'growing'. Read article
Couple hang daughter, 8, then kill themselves Police discover family hanged in their home after neighbour reports 'strange smell'. Read article
Suicide help line for Indians receiving more calls A growing number of Indian expatriates are calling a suicide help line because of financial problems, a community group says. Read article
MORE UAE NEWS
The decomposed body of Anil Kumar, 44, and his wife, Sreeja, 31, along with their eight-year-old daughter, Anusree, were hanging from the ceiling of their home in what police believe was a murder-suicide due to financial hardship.
A spokesman for the Indian Consulate in Dubai, which is liaising with the police in RAK, confirmed that Sreeja was six months pregnant.
Morning coffee talk at the Mamourah Restaurant in the area now borders on the grim as neighbours ask themselves what they could have done to help.
"Each neighbourhood could have given a hundred or thousands, it would have been no problem", said Hassan Al Shehhi, 65. "This is what we must do in Ramadan, we could have raised Dh1 million."
"We had no idea there was a problem," said Mohammed Hassan, 52. "He had a car and he worked at a company. We would have given money but nobody said anything, nobody knew anything."
Julan, a quiet neighbourhood near the RAK mountains, is known as a peaceful residential area for Emirati and Asian families.
Neighbours had no idea of the family's financial struggles. Indeed, one family who lived at a house attached to that of the deceased said they did not know their neighbours at all; there was a lack of integration between Asian and Emirati communities.
"No, I don't know them. They're Indian," said Fatima Ahmed, 53. "All I know is that there was a bad smell. Then lots of police outside. But I don't know why or what the problem was. We saw a lot of cars, but that's all."
All the neighbours agreed on one thing, though: they would have helped the family at any cost, had they known about their financial problems.
"We don't know the Indians here," said Mr Al Shehhi. "It's 'hello', and that's it. We'd help but they don't come to us, you know how this country is. We don't know what goes on in a house. Of course, we would have given anything to them, but I don't know who is eating and who is not eating."
The Indian Consulate spokesman said, "We expect news on the repatriation of the bodies by this evening and expect the bodies to be sent back to India in the next few days. But it depends on the investigations of the UAE authorities, and we are working with them on the issue."
RAK Police have finished their investigation, and have transferred the case to the courts. The courts will resolve the case today, said a senior court official.
In their final days, the family kept their suffering to themselves, neighbours said.
Mani Easwar, a grocer who lives nearby, said the family had moved to the neighbourhood only about three months ago, and had not purchased anything for weeks.
"The family kept itself in isolation. For the last one and a half months they never came outside," said Mr Easwar, who is 40.
The father, who worked in the transport industry, had told Mr Easwar that he had some financial problems, and asked to be given food on credit.
Such requests have become commonplace, as people now take up to three months to repay Mr Easwar for food. Things have become so bad that Mr Easwar plans to sell his business.
"For the past year, year and a half, eight out of ten people are having the problem in small businesses," said Mr Easwar. "People are hesitant to buy. We can give them food items but we can't help financially, we are not in a position to do this.
"Nowadays, everyone is suffering, but it takes time," he said.
Ismail Khan, of Doha Real Estate, said he gives families two or three months to bring rent payments before they are faced with eviction.
"We've had too many problems, bounced cheques, no payment for two or three months," said Mr Khan. "I don't want to go to the police station; we want to finish the problem before."
azacharias@thenational.ae
nhanif@thenational.ae
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Griselda
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
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Company%20Profile
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Kill%20
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
