Armed forces uniform for Halloween party lands Indian in trouble

Dubai, May 6 (IANS) An Indian man was fined 2000 dirhams (about $545) by a Dubai court after being spotted in a UAE armed forces officer's dress that he wore to a Halloween party, a report said.

An Indian man, 23, identified only as DS, was spotted by the police in the Atlantis resort area in UAE's Dubai city wearing the police outfit on October 31 last year, The National reported Tuesday.

DS was subsequently arrested and charged with wearing the official armed forces uniform without permission.

"I am sorry, I did not think of the consequences when I wore the uniform," the report quoted DS as saying before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

Also, his Emirati Armed Forces friend, identified only as FA, 21, who lent him the uniform, was charged with aiding and abetting. FA was also convicted and fined 2,000 dirhams.

DS was returning from a Halloween party at midnight wearing the uniform and a bullet proof vest when a police patrol questioned him about the attire.

DS told police, during the investigation, that he had bought the cap and trousers from a shop near the Dubai customs building while the shirt was given to him by a friend and the bullet proof vest was bought on eBay by his uncle, who brought it for him to Dubai when he came to visit from the UK, the report said.

However, DS could not present a receipt for the same to the police. He confessed later that he had got the shirt and the trousers from FA.

"We met in a cafeteria where he gave me his uniform and told me that he did not want it because it is old and that, after the party, I can throw it away but only after I remove any flag or ranks off it," said DS.

DS reportedly asked the Emirati man for his uniform on the pretext of completing a project. He claimed that he only wore it to the party.

"There were about 40 other people at the party wearing uniforms of other countries' armed forces," DS added.

Costumed Halloween parties are an yearly event celebrated on October 31 and are popular among young people in Europe, US, Canada and Australia.