Two Malayalis receive Rs 10 lakh gift from Ruler of Dubai for rescuing pregnant cat

DUBAI: United Arab Emirates Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented a gift of Rs 10 lakh (Dh50,000) each to four people, including two Malayalis, for rescuing a pregnant cat that fell off a second floor balcony in Deira. Kothamangalam native Naser Shihab and Vadakara native Muhammed Rashid were the Malayali members of the four-member gang that acted in a timely manner to save the life of the cat. Ashraf from Morocco and Atif Mehmood from Pakistan also received the prize money from the ruler of Dubai.

Naser Shihab works as a bus driver at the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai while Mohammad Rashid runs a grocery shop there. The incident took place the other day.

Naser said that he saw the cat dangling from the balcony on Tuesday morning. Following this, he and others arranged a bedsheet and held it out so that the cat could jump on it. The incident was shot on mobile by Muhammad Rashid who posted it on Instagram. The video, which went on to become viral, came to the notice of Sheikh Mohammed.

Following this, Sheikh Mohammed tweeted the video by hailing the men as "unsung heroes and urged the people to help him identify the men. The four men were later identified by Dubai police after an extensive search. An official from the Ruler's office handed over the money to the four.