Criminal Court orders 20-day detention for man accused of holding group hostage in café

The Criminal Court has ordered a man suspected of holding a group of people inside a café by force for three hours, threatening them and carrying out assault, to be held in custody for 20 days. In connection with the case, the Maldives Police Service arrested Ifhaam Ahmed, 19, of GA. Maamendhoo. He is suspected of assault, threatening, criminal coercion, as well as the offence of unlawfully holding people. The Criminal Court extended his detention by 20 days after the Maldives Police Service submitted evidence to the court that is sufficient for the level of suspicion against him. The evidence submitted includes the statement of the injured person, statements of eyewitnesses who saw the scene, the medico-legal report of the injured persons, a photo report showing the injuries, and snapshots of CCTV footage. The order was issued after the defence lawyer requested that he be released from detention with conditions. According to the detention order, during the time he held a group of people inside a café for about three hours, he threatened them by saying that if they did not give their phones, he would strike them with a glass bottle. The Maldives Police Service also stated in court that, in a manner that diminishes the dignity and honour of the injured persons, those scenes had been videoed on a phone in front of other people.