Case of mistaken identity lands man in jail

Abu Dhabi: A case of mistaken identity that started at Abu Dhabi airport has led a communications engineer to be questioned and jailed in Al Wathba jail for more than a week, turning his life upside down.
Abu Dhabi police had inadvertently linked his identification records to a man, with a completely different name, who was deported from the country for crimes committed 11 years ago, Gulf News Learnt.
Indian national Mohammad Riyaz, 27, was arrested on October 20 at Abu Dhabi Airport on his way back from a vacation. Police took him into custody where they shaved his head and treated him like criminal.
According to the Abu Dhabi General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Riyaz’s passport was mistakenly linked by Abu Dhabi police to the name of a man who was deported in 2002.

Riyaz said he was released from jail on bail and was asked by Abu Dhabi court to obtain proof of his identity from the Dubai residency department that issued his visa and from Dubai police.
A Dubai police official said that Mohammad Ali Mohammad is the name of the deported man whose records are linked with Riyaz’s.
Read News In Full 29/12/13 Gulf News