"I am making this video because this could be the last video I make..." a young woman cries out loud in a clip which is currently going viral on social media.
The video clip is purportedly that of 33-year-old Sheikha Latifa who claims to be a Dubai princess. The woman has gone missing off the Goa coast, reported NDTV.
Sheikha was last seen looking into the camera, giving a closer look at what appears to be her life as a member of Dubai's royal family
What and When?
The shocking incident comes just days after India successfully managed to capture terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's aide Farooq Takla from Dubai. It is reported that officials are now in the midst of a potentially explosive situation as Sheikha Latifa is reportedly the daughter of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Saeed Al Maktoum. It is also reported that Sheikha’s friend has also reportedly gone missing with her.
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Sheikh’s Mohammed has a total 31 children
The Hidden Truth
The video of Sheikha Latifa was released by her US-based lawyer. She is seen speaking about the ordeal she was going through for being a part of the Dubai royal family. She claimed that she was assaulted, brutally beaten and tortured for days. The video recently surfaced on the internet.
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According to NDTV, "She was believed to have been messaging from a US-registered boat, which on last count was positioned about 50 miles from the Indian coastline."
Avinandan Mitra, Deputy Commandant of the Coast Guard of India, said, "We have no such information or operation."
The Background
According to the report, Sheikha was last in contact through WhatsApp messages on Sunday, March 4, around 4.30 pm. She had sent frantic Whatsapp messages to a person in ‘Detained in Dubai’, a legal firm aiding those in distress in the UAE. In an email to the company, she was urging them to help her and her friend, Herve Jaubert. She also mentioned about how they were “surrounded by men” who were firing at them.
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According to an article by Khaleej Times, Sheikha, who is also the Vice-Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, was heard earlier praising her father.
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"Dubai Art Season is inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to not only transform the UAE into a global hub for diverse cultural activities but also to spread happiness through art and creativity."
Last Attempt
Radha Stirling, who works with Detained in Dubai, told NDTV that Sheikha had in February tried to get in touch with her. The group was initially cautious and tried to verify her identity. "The email ID was confirmed by her friend and mutual contacts, including a solicitor in Britain,'' she said.
In an another development, Stirling was informed that she had escaped from Dubai, where she had been tortured and locked up for showing support for one of her siblings, who had also run away from home.
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How They Escaped
Herve Jaubert is a US-based French author who helped Sheikha escape. She contacted Detained in Dubai, informing that they planned to fly to the US on March 5 from India. But she was in a dilemma as to how Indian authorities would welcome them.
The company believes the two escaped by boat but soon ran out of fuel. "Both were concerned that the Indian authorities would simply notify the UAE of their whereabouts and turn them in immediately,'' said Stirling
On Sunday, Stirling received a “distress messages" from Latifa. "She said 'Radha, please help me, there are men outside' and she said she heard gunshots.'' After that the princess was not reachable. When Detained in Dubai got in touch with Sheikha's US-based lawyer on Tuesday, he released a video statement by her. She had instructed that this &feature=youtu.be">video be released in case of her death or disappearance.
The video mainly focuses on the mistreatment by her father, the Prime Minister
She says in the video, "Pretty soon I am going to be leaving somehow. I am not sure of the outcome but I am 99 per cent sure it will work. This video will save my life," says Sheikha, talking about going to the US. "I am looking forward to waking up and thinking I have the freedom to do anything I want to..."
Development
The organisation is been on its toes to find clues about the missing pair. The UK Met police have said, "The information in relation to the missing persons has been forwarded to the National Crime Agency and Interpol to international liaison officers to investigate."
"We tried to find out what is true. Nobody is sure about the veracity. It is a sensitive issue, we can't comment before being sure," said a senior official from India informed NDTV.
According to My News Desk, Indian intelligence claims “Sheikha Latifa is alive and has been taken back to Dubai”.
Feature Image Credit: NDTV
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