An Indian man strangled to death a fellow national and hid the body in a box over an unpaid debt, a Dubai court was told.
The accused, identified by his name's initials NS, 28, became angry when his friend Fipeen Kumar sought to repay a debt of 8,500 dirhams (US$2314) that he owed to the former in instalments, The National paper reported.
NS then strangled Kumar with a piece of rope on May 22 this year.
After killing Kumar, the accused hid the body in a box and paid three men to dispose off the box.
A security guard found the body the next day.
Prosecutors told the Dubai criminal court Wednesday that the incident took place at the accused's apartment at Fareej Nassir in Dubai at about 4 p.m. May 22.
"The two started discussing the debt issue and the defendant asked that the money should be returned back as one sum but the victim said he couldn't do this," a police officer, who took the accused's confession, was quoted as saying.
He said that the discussion between the two men turned violent after sometime and NS pushed Kumar to the floor and strangled him with a piece of rope.
According to the report, the killer paid three men 25-50 dirhams each to help him move a box stuffed with Kumar's body to a rubbish collection point outside his apartment.
NS had been working as a salesman for a company for the past six years.
He denied the charge of murder but admitted to disposing off his friend's body.
"When I entered the room, I saw his dead body and panicked so I hid it in a box and threw it away," NS told the court.
Oct 23 has been set as the next date for hearing of the case.
