Riyadh: Abdul Jabbar Yearns for Freedom, Seeks Helping Hand
P A Hameed Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Oct 21: January 3, 2010 was an unfortunate day for Abdul Jabbar, a day that turned his life upside down and plunged him as well as his family into utter dismay.
He was put behind bars at Hafar Al-Batin jail in Saudi Arabia for his involvement in an accident case. The school bus which he was driving was hit by another vehicle driven by a Bangladeshi that caused the death of a Saudi student, named Hajra, in the bus. The police registered a case against Abdul Jabbar and arrested him the same day. Since then, he has been imprisoned.
Like so many others, Abdul Jabbar, who hails from Konchar village in Mangalore, too landed on the oil-rich country Saudi Arabia, full of dreams and hopes with the aim of leading a better life. He spent a lot of money by way of substantial borrowings to obtain visa and flying to the Kingdom. He joined work as a private driver in a Saudi national’s house in Hafar Al-Batin, around 300 km from Dammam.
When his earning as a private driver was not enough to meet either his or his family’s needs or to pay back the loan, he opted for a part-time job in the locality so as to increase his income. He got an opportunity to work as a school bus driver on a part-time basis in a school in the region. This had really kept his hope alive till the misfortune ruined his life in an instant.
Jabbar, usually proficient and careful with his driving, suffered just one second of bad luck which was enough to land him in trouble and bring him face to face with great hardships and difficult times. All his hopes and dreams came crashing down on that fateful day, and now his family, which depends solely on him for sustenance, is in a critical situation without any means of income.
Moreover, the summary court in Hafar Al-Batin decided the case against him and held him responsible for causing the death of the school girl. Besides, he was made liable to pay 38,000 Saudi Riyals as compensation to the family of the deceased. He has now been released from the jail temporarily for one month upon the request of his sponsor in order to arrange the compensation amount. His bail period will expire in a few days and he will be arrested again unless he pays the money. As he was in jail without means of livelihood, neither he nor his family back in India is able to pay the compensation.
Left without choice, he inevitably expressed his helplessness to Daijiworld seeking help from donors, philanthropists and voluntary organizations in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world so that he will not be imprisoned again for his failure to pay the amount.
Therefore, Daijiworld requests its readers and other generous donors to come forward to assist him in his difficulty so that he can be set free and avoid further detention.
Those interested may contact Jabbar on his mobile number: 00966-56-981-3805.