Dubai court rejects appeal of Hyderabad woman in drugs case

Hyderabad: A Dubai court has rejected the first appeal submitted by the legal team of Hyderabad woman Ameena Begum, who is serving a 25-year sentence in a drugs case. Her family is now preparing to approach the Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi.

In a post on X, Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan recently confirmed the dismissal and said the defence argued that Ameena, who is suffering from Tuberculosis, had no knowledge of the prohibited substances found in the bag she carried.

He added that she had travelled outside India for the first time to support her family after being left to raise her 5-year-old son on her own.

Khan said a mercy petition will also be filed and that he plans to write to External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar seeking intervention with UAE authorities. He noted that Ameena’s mother broke down after learning that the appeal had been dismissed, expressing concern for her daughter’s health in custody.

How she was detained

Ameena Begum, a resident of Kishenbagh, flew from Hyderabad to Dubai on May 18, 2025, via Bangkok after being offered a job at a beauty parlour. According to her family, an agent gave her a bag to deliver upon arrival, and she later told her mother she did not know what was inside. She was detained at Dubai International Airport and later convicted on charges of carrying prohibited substances.

Her father Mohammed Ayub is a bed-ridden paralysis patient and her mother Sultana Begum works as a housemaid.

Sultana Begum has appealed for support, saying the family has been struggling since Ameena’s arrest. The case has been raised with the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

Community fundraising

As the family was unable to afford legal representation, the fundraising effort for Ameena’s legal defence was led and coordinated by Amjed Ullah Khan, who made public appeals for assistance and regularly shared updates on X. The family needed Dirham 25,000 (around Rs 6 lakh) to hire a lawyer for the appeal.

Through Khan’s appeals, Rs 8.78 lakh was collected in total.

This included:

• Rs 5.78 lakh deposited directly into the bank accounts of Ameena’s parents.
• Dh 12,500 handed over in person to the legal consultant handling the case in Dubai by supporters who responded to Khan’s call.

The remaining funds will be used for future legal stages and to facilitate travel for Ameena’s mother if needed.