Sharjah Appeals Court Overturns Deportation and Jail Term for Expat in Drunk Driving Case
Sharjah Appeals Court Overturns Deportation and Jail Term for Expat in Drunk Driving Case
Sharjah : In a significant legal victory for an Indian expatriate, the Sharjah Court of Appeal has overturned a primary court’s decision to imprison and deport a driver involved in a drunk driving accident. The case dates back to the early hours of August 16, 2025, when Seyed Meeran Seyed, a native of Pulingudi, Tamil Nadu, was arrested in the Sajja area of Sharjah. The defendant had crashed his vehicle into a car owned by a Pakistani national that was parked along the roadside. Following the incident, Seyed admitted to authorities that he had consumed alcohol prior to the accident, leading to charges of unauthorized alcohol consumption, driving under the influence, and causing property damage through negligence.
Initially, the Court of First Instance handed down a severe sentence in absentia on September 29, 2025, after the defendant failed to appear for his hearing. That ruling sentenced him to one month in prison, followed by mandatory deportation from the UAE. Furthermore, he was ordered to pay a combined fine of AED 30,000 across the three charges and faced a one-year suspension of his driving license. Facing the prospect of losing his livelihood and being expelled from the country, Seyed sought the assistance of YAB Legal Services to challenge the verdict.
The legal team successfully reopened the case and presented a memorandum to the Court of Appeal, arguing for a more lenient application of the law. On November 26, 2025, the appellate court issued a revised judgment that brought immense relief to the expat. The court completely scrapped the jail sentence and the deportation order, allowing him to remain in the UAE. Additionally, the total fine was drastically reduced from AED 30,000 to just AED 7,000, and the period of license suspension was shortened from one year to three months. This final ruling marks a major turning point in the case, allowing the defendant to settle the fines and resume his life without the threat of imprisonment or exile.