New Delhi: The Delhi High Court last week asked the Centre to secure consular access and adequate legal representation for an Indian man detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 6 August last year.
According to a petition filed in the High Court, Samesh Dhankhar, who has been residing in the UAE since 2016, secured his first consular access only eight months after his detention.
ThePrint has a copy of the petition filed by Dhankar’s wife. She was represented by advocates Ribhav Pande and Madhav Aggarwal.
“This was deeply belated, since it was secured only after a fine/penalty/sentence had been passed against the Detainee. The exact details of the said fine/penalty/sentence have not been provided till date,” the petition notes.
The petition says certain proceedings may have concluded against him, without any legal representation on his behalf.
“It is evident that legal proceedings and sentences are being passed against the Detainee without any legal representation, much less effective legal representation, and that the Detainee remains under detention despite imposition of fine/sentence. Neither the Detainee nor his family is aware of the procedure to bear the fine,” the petition says.
His wife also states that Dhankar was kept in prolonged solitary confinement for six months, causing “severe distress and raising grave concerns regarding his treatment in custody”.
The petition further notes that his family members haven’t been able to meet him in person and that he has had no legal representation for one year and four months.
“The Detainee also has financial assets in Abu Dhabi, which cannot be accessed or managed in the absence of a duly executed Power of Attorney,” says the petition.
“Access to these assets is critical for the sustenance and financial stability of the Petitioner and her two minor daughters, who had to shift back to India shortly after the Petitioner’s detention on financial grounds,” it adds.
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How the case unfolded
According to the plea, Dhankar started working in 2022 as a Manager of Monitoring and Observability with G Forty Two General Trading LLC, which is associated with the larger G42 group, a leading Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing technology firm.
When he didn’t return from work in August 2024, his location was traced to the CID headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Four days after his first detention, Dhankar was apparently brought back to his house, and his passport, electronic devices, cards, and other items were seized. He was sacked after this detention.
According to the petition, Dhankar had alleged in brief calls to his wife in October that he was brutally tortured and kept in solitary confinement.
He also complained about being forced to “sign an eight-page document in Arabic on the false assurance that he would be released within two days”, with threats issued against his family members if he refused.
The petition adds that Dhankar was produced before a public prosecutor once last year. The exact nature of the allegations against him isn’t known.
“Steps shall be taken to ensure that the detainee is provided with adequate legal representation. In the event the detainee wishes to execute any power of attorney in favour of his family members qua his assets in the UAE, the respondent shall make efforts to facilitate the same, subject to compliance with the applicable local legal requirements,” the high court said in its order.
According to an RTI response accessed by ThePrint, data provided by UAE authorities in August 2025, shared through the consulate general of India in Dubai, showed that 1,419 Indians are currently detained in the UAE.
Only 32 Indians have so far been identified or processed for transfer to India under the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)