Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Apr 1: Family members of a man, native to the taluk, who used to operate a shop in Saudi Arabia, are distraught as he remains imprisoned in the Gulf nation. They have penned a letter to the foreign ministry, urging intervention to secure his release.

Ismail Dandarakoli (65), a resident of Jeppinamogaru in the city, has been detained in a Saudi Arabian prison for nine months.

Ismail has been employed in Saudi Arabia for the past 27 years, where he managed a laundry shop for the last decade. Facing financial setbacks, he borrowed money from two Keralites and an Egyptian. Consequently, Ismail was unable to sustain his laundry business, leading the shop owner to hand over operations to someone else.

Subsequently, the Egyptian creditor filed a case of fraud against Ismail with the local authorities. Consequently, the Saudi police apprehended Ismail.

Suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, Ismail faces significant challenges in confinement. Consequently, his daughter has reached out to foreign minister Jaishankar, pleading for his intervention. In her correspondence, Ismail's daughter asserted, "My father has not committed any grave wrongdoing. He borrowed 15,000 Riyals from the Egyptian individual who filed the complaint. My father has already repaid 6,000 Riyals, with only 9,000 Riyals remaining outstanding. Although interest is prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian complainant has included interest charges, alleging that my father owes him 38,000 Riyals."

Relatives of Ismail disclosed that they have received assurances from the foreign ministry regarding his release.