Noida businessman returns home after being wrongly detained in Abu Dhabi

Narrating his ordeal, Sharma said the CID transferred him to a holding cell at the CID headquarters after he refused to bend. "I showed them my phone, and social media profiles to convince them, but no use. The next day they sent me to Ras al Khaimah and transferred me to a cell. I was later presented before a jury after two-day-long interrogation," he said.

Noida: A Noida-based businessman who was wrongly detained by the CID in Abu Dhabi over mistaken identity returned back safely to India on Sunday. Praveen Sharma, who had gone on a trip to Switzerland with his wife, had a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi where the CBI unexpectedly took him into custody, pressing him to reveal his 'true identity' for over three days. He was released after they realized that the criminal they mistook him for was already in jail.

Sharma, who was welcomed with celebrations at the New Delhi Airport today, said he was shown a photograph of a wanted criminal from India after being arrested by the CBI. "They announced my name twice at the Abu Dhabi airport and asked me to come out. They asked if the person in the photograph was me. I denied it, but they kept pushing me. They checked all my documents and scanned my eyes for verification," the cement businessman told a group of reporters after he landed in India on Sunday.

"They gave back my passport after some time but when I was leaving for departure, they arrested me again. They kept me there for the entire night and interrogated me. I repeatedly told them that there has been a mistake as this was the first time I even visited the country. But they kept pushing, said we will leave you if you agree that the photo is yours," Sharma further said. Meanwhile, the officials sent his wife back to India.

Further narrating his ordeal, Sharma said the CID transferred him to a holding cell at the CID headquarters after he refused to bend. "I showed them my phone, and social media profiles to convince them, but no use. The next day they sent me to Ras al Khaimah and transferred me to a cell. I was later presented before a jury after two-day-long interrogation. The jury also interrogated further, and finally reached the conclusion that the man they were looking for was already in their custody, in jail," he said.

Meanwhile, Praveen's concerned family back in Noida reached out to the District Magistrate Suhas LY for help. The DM wrote a letter to the External Affairs Ministry, informing them about the incident, and demanding the release of Praveen Shama. However, before the External Ministry could interfere, Sharma was released by the CID in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, after which he safely reached India on Sunday.