Mangalore: Eight from DK Languishing in Saudi Jail for Almost a Decade
 
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Jun 27: Eight persons from Dakshina Kannada district have been languishing in a Jeddah jail in Saudi Arabia for almost a decade, after being booked in an alleged illegal call routing case.

Saudi Telecom Company in four different complaints had alleged eight youngsters of making ‘hundi’ (illegal routing) calls, apparently for no mistake of theirs, said T M Shahid, member of coir board, government of India, addressing a press meet here on Wednesday June 27.

Repeated appeals to external affair minister S M Krishna, chief minister Sadananda Gowda, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah consulate, Jeddah parliament, Riyad parliament, Riyad consulate and Mecca parliament), to free them from the jail have borne no results, he said.
 
Hussain Ahmed Kudroli, Yusuf Mohammed Shafi and Mohammed Ashraf were taken away by the police after being charged in the first complaint. A fine of 2 million Saudi Riyals had been imposed on them. Nasir Mohammed, Fairoz Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed were arrested next and were imposed a fine of  3 million Saudi Riyals. In the third complaint, Mohammed Ayub Kannur was charged and the fine amounted to 80,000 Saudi Riyals. In complaint 4, Mohammed Sharif was charged on whom a fine of 1 million Saudi Riyals was imposed.

Shahid said all these were hefty amount which the parents of the victims could not pay.
 
He said that the four had hired a room which previously may have been occupied by a group that was involved in illegal telephone service network. However, the group escaped and without any knowledge, these youths rented the same room, which was later raided by the police following a complaint by Saudi Telecom company. "As a result, the innocent youths were jailed and their parents in India made to suffer," Shahid said.
 
A K Mohammed, father of Nasir Mohammed (one among the jailed) said that the youths were arrested on March 19, 2003 and that he was told about the incident by his son’s friends in Saudi Arabia after 40 days. After obtaining VISA, he with his wife flew to Saudi Arabia in December 2006. They saw their son for the last time when their he was brought to the court for hearing. He claimed the youths have been charged for no mistakes of theirs. He also sought the help of the government to collect the hefty amount for their immediate release.
 
Mohammed Javed, Farweez Ahmed, D M Mustaf, Aslam among others were present at the press meet.