Kerala youths tortured in Saudi
They fell victim to a job fraud and were beaten up.
By : t. sudheesh
Update: 2015-12-23 06:23 GMT
ALAPPUZHA: Three youths, who fell victims to a job fraud by a Haripad-based travel agency, were tortured in Saudi Arabia by the sponsor after they reached the place in November and December separately.
They were taken to Abha, on the border with war-torn Yemen, on the pretext of employment as electricians and mechanics, but were forced to work in units manufacturing hollow bricks and gardens. They were denied food and accommodation as well.
According to a video aired by news channels on Tuesday, the trio, Abhilash Gopi, 21, Anju Bhavan, Malamelkode, Muttom, near Haripad; B. Vimal Kumar, 30, Puthanveedu, Kanichanelloor, Muttom; and Byju Babu, Arattupuzha, near Haripad, were beaten up by a Saudi man with a wooden plank while they were pleading for mercy.
However, he went on flinging concrete rubbles at the youth while they were trying to escape.
The scene was filmed by one of the youths and secretly sent to the kin here some time ago.
Later, they took refuge in the shop of a Malayali in the area. NORKA Minister K.C. Joseph has asked the officials to take up the issue with the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia and rescue the trio.
Mr K.S. Udayabhanu, Circle Inspector, Kayamkulam, has launched an investigation following a complaint registered by the parents of the youths.
A civil police officer in Arattupuzha police station, K.N. Vinod Kumar, was suspended for involvement in the fraud by acting as marketing manager of the fake company named Silverdot.
According to the parents, two persons, Shamsad Basheer and B.K. Shabumon from Arattupuzha had offered them a salary of Rs 45,000 per month.
The accused police man came to their house and persuaded them to accept the offer. They spent at least Rs 1 lakh each for clearing the papers, including visa and air tickets.
Byju from Arattupuzha flew to Saudi Arabia on November 6 and the rest on December 4. When Abhilash and Vimal reached there, they realised the plight of Byju, who had not been allowed to contact his relatives.
Families want to see youths back
A pall of gloom has descended on the homes of the three youths near here who were tortured in Saudi Arabia by their sponsor. Their parents are spending sleepless nights over their children’s safety and their only wish is to see them alive again.
This correspondent witnessed deathly silence in two homes in the interiors of Haripad. Their relatives and friends were consoling them but the mothers were in despair.
Omana, mother of Vimal
Krishnakumari, mother of Abhilash, 21, said the job agents had approached them with the offer of better jobs and remuneration in Saudi Arabia. Abhilash, the only son of daily wage earners, wanted to support his parents and meet the marriage liabilities of his sister, Anju.
“He dreamt of building a house and a better life for them,” the mother said. ‘He had completed his ITI course as auto electrician when he got the Gulf job offer which he accepted with joy,” she recalled.
Shamsad along with Naufal, a travel agent in Haripad, had come here through a family friend saying they were promoters of the company in Saudi Arabia and promised him the job of an electrician with Rs 35,000 as remuneration.
“We were given some brochures with the pictures of several people, including a Saudi national named Abdhullah Hijab Al Baraq. The name of the company was mentioned as Silverdot with email address and phone numbers. We gave them the money after checking details the online. But, we later realised that there was another company in the same name, but this company had nothing to do with that,” the parents said.
K. Omana, 58, the widowed mother of Vimal, said Shamsad had asked them to pay 10,000 Saudi riyals each for freeing them.
“They told my son that he would be killed by hitting him with a car. There’s not a single paisa in our hand, let alone 10,000 riyals,” she said and urged the authorities to bring back her son.
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