Revenge in a cake: After a ‘grudge’ lands a DJ in Sharjah jail for 25 years, his family wages a lonely battle

For astir 20 months now, since February 2023, Clayton has been languishing successful a Sharjah jail, allegedly framed successful a drugs lawsuit by Mumbai-based baker Anthony Paul. On April 1, 2023, histrion Chrisann Pereira, besides allegedly framed by Paul, was arrested successful Sharjah. Though the Indian authorities managed to unafraid her instrumentality successful August 2023 — she spent three weeks successful a Sharjah jail — since her lawsuit hadn’t gone to court, Clayton was already convicted by then.

While Paul, who was arrested successful April 2023, was released connected bail connected September 24 by the Bombay High Court, Clayton is serving a 25-year word fixed to him by a section Sharjah tribunal successful June 2023. Having mislaid an entreaty successful the Sharjah High Court successful November 2023, Clayton’s lone changeable astatine state present is simply a proceeding earlier the Supreme Court there.

A nightmare and a struggle

When she is not juggling a 9-to-5 job, taking attraction of their daughter, 11, and her paralysed father-in-law, 73, Clayton’s woman Falyn, 38, is putting connected a brave look arsenic she counts pennies to wage the hefty ineligible fees progressive successful the process oregon tries to get the Indian government’s attraction truthful it tin rise her husband’s lawsuit with the UAE. Throughout this “nightmare”, she says, her brother-in-law Malcolm has been her changeless companion.

For astir 20 months now, since February 2023, Clayton has been languishing successful a Sharjah jail, allegedly framed successful a drugs lawsuit by Mumbai-based baker Anthony Paul.

Seated adjacent to Falyn successful a location successful Mumbai’s Vile Parle, Malcolm says they find solace successful the information that they tin speech to Clayton implicit the payphone. “We usually talk to him connected alternate days since ISD charges are rather high,” helium tells The Indian Express.

Falyn and Malcolm determine beforehand connected what accusation to withhold from Clayton. “We don’t privation to get his hopes up, lone to person them dashed later. We effort to dependable cheerful, but I inquire Malcolm to instrumentality implicit erstwhile I consciousness low. At times, Clayton is the 1 cheering america up. We each instrumentality turns being strong,” she says, holding backmost her tears.

On his “bad days”, she says, each that Clayton mumbles into the telephone is that helium does not privation to talk. “At times, helium gets impatient and says we are not doing enough. He was the household troubleshooter…,” says a visibly affectional Falyn.

The apprehension and the aftermath

After they learnt astir his apprehension successful February 2023, his household approached the Vile Parle constabulary presumption for assistance and besides tried to scope retired to Indian officials successful Sharjah, but successful vain. Then, successful April 2023, Chrisann’s arrest made headlines. Her apprehension saw the Mumbai Crime Branch commencement an investigation, starring to the arrests of Paul and his accomplice Rajesh Borate connected April 24, 2023.

After Paul’s 4 different alleged victims, including Clayton’s family, approached the police, the sleuths discovered however the baker had allegedly utilized the aforesaid modus operandi to nonstop his revenge — his accomplice Borate offered each his purported victims a UAE gig, implicit with formation tickets.

Clayton with his wife

On the time of their travel, helium requested them to either transportation a trophy oregon a barroom to Sharjah. As per the plan, Paul past tipped-off the Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA) astir a rider carrying drugs hidden successful a trophy oregon a cake. The constabulary said Paul chose Sharjah since cause laws determination are “extremely stringent”. According to the chargesheet, of Paul’s 5 alleged victims, lone Clayton and Chrisann carried the articles to Sharjah.

In Clayton’s case, the probe states that Paul was upset implicit an incidental that happened during a travel their families took unneurotic to a farmhouse successful 2019. The families knew each different done a communal friend. Also contiguous connected the travel was the woman of Paul’s deceased relative — they were successful a narration past — and her son. During the trip, the probe states, the lad remarked that Clayton was a batch similar his deceased father. The remark near Paul fuming successful soundlessness the full time, states the investigation.

In January 2023, Borate posed arsenic an lawsuit manager and offered Clayton an audition for a DJ gig successful Dubai. Before his formation to Sharjah connected February 6, 2023, Borate requested him to instrumentality a barroom for an acquaintance. The chargesheet says Paul past tipped-off the SAA astir the drug-laced cake, starring to the DJ’s incarceration.

A Mumbai Crime Branch serviceman told The Indian Express, “A transcript of the chargesheet (filed by them) was translated into Arabic and sent to Sharjah. We person done each we could for Clayton. Now, the substance is successful the hands of the government.”

So far, Clayton’s household has changed their lawyers, sent umpteen emails to the Indian Embassy successful Dubai and the External Affairs Minister, too seeking assistance from section politicians and actors.

When Malcolm met him successful Sharjah successful December 2023, Clayton was successful bully spirits.

Moved by Clayton’s plight, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi precocious wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking the government’s help. The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson did not respond to queries by The Indian Express connected efforts being taken by the authorities to unafraid Clayton’s release.

A agelong fight

Realising that his ineligible conflict is going to beryllium a “long-drawn-out one”, Falyn says her hubby has “already work 4 books, has been moving retired and has besides learnt Arabic”. “We jokingly archer him that helium volition instrumentality arsenic an upgraded mentation of himself,” she says.

When Malcolm met him successful Sharjah successful December 2023, Clayton was successful bully spirits. “When helium saw me, helium claimed helium didn’t recognise maine arsenic I had enactment connected weight. He said we would get acceptable erstwhile helium is back,” helium says.

Later, done an inmate who was deported to India, Clayton sent crossed a transverse helium had made retired of khaboos (bread) and dried dates for his daughter. He besides sent a missive addressed to Falyn, successful which helium acknowledgment his household for lasting by him.

In Clayton’s case, the probe states that Paul was upset implicit an incidental that happened during a travel their families took unneurotic to a farmhouse successful 2019.

Revealing that Clayton is called “Dunga” by his friends, aft the Brazilian shot manager, Falyn says, “He has made friends successful jailhouse too. They made a barroom for his day with the rations disposable to them and utilized barroom boxes to marque a angiosperm that said ‘Happy Birthday DJ’.”

Though Malcolm feels livid astatine Paul “for wrecking our lives implicit thing truthful petty”, helium says Clayton is much acrophobic astir the clip helium is losing retired on.

“Clayton keeps telling maine determination is nary constituent successful wasting much clip connected Paul. After helium returns, Clayton has plans to spell connected a fewer pilgrimages and commencement moving again aft a month.”