Mugger bites off part of praying man’s ear

A mugger attacked a man while he was praying at a mosque in Malé this morning and bit off part of his ear in an attempt to steal his phone.

The assailant has been identified as 24-year old Asim Ibrahim.

Asim is currently in police custody. He has a record of drug abuse and theft, and has charges pending against him at the prosecutor general’s office, the police said.

The victim, a 53-year-old man, is being treated at the ADK hospital.

The bizarre incident was one among a series of unusual crimes reported today.

A businessman was found dead in a taro field in southern Addu this morning. Some MVR400,000 (US$25,940) worth of jewellery was also stolen from a Malé shop in the early hours of the morning today.