By Gulf Daily News (GDN)

Bahrain, Jun 11: An Indian, who is allegedly stranded in Bahrain because he can't pay a phone bill of over BD1,250 for calls he claims he did not make, will finally leave after a woman in India volunteered to cover the amount.

The GDN reported last month that when Mohammed Karuppan went to the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence to leave the country, he was told that he couldn't until he paid the Batelco phone bill.

He claims that a former colleague convinced him to use his CPR to register the GSM phone connection and that he had nothing else to do with the disconnected number 39667145, which accumulated BD1,661 in one month in 1998.

The 52-year-old, who has not left the country since he arrived here 28 years ago, paid part of the amount three years ago, reducing the bill to BD1,266.815.

His story was read by 23-year-old Kanchan Bisht after it was published in newspapers in India after being picked up from the GDN on May 26 by the Press Trust of India news service.

The assistant writer-director from Mumbai told the GDN that she was ready to pay the amount if that was all that had kept Mr Karuppan away from his family all these years.

"I come from a middle-class family and the money is from what I have saved from my earnings over a couple of years," said Ms Bisht.

"I am more than happy to pay this amount and I don't think I am wasting it on someone I don't even know.

"I don't even want to call it charity, I am doing this because it will make me happy to know that I made it possible for a man to be with his family after being away for many years."

Ms Bisht added that she had seen the plight of many stranded people in the Gulf.

"When I was working in Dubai some time back I've known many people stranded there, unable to go home for years and see their dear and near ones due to one reason or the other," she said.

"But then I could only watch helplessly because I didn't have the money to do anything.

"I also know what it is like to be away from family because I went through it in Dubai.

"I'm thankful to the GDN for coming out with this story, which has given a poor old man hope in his life."

Mr Karuppan told the GDN that he would be indebted to Ms Bisht all his life and has promised to meet her when he goes to India.

"I don't know how to express in words my gratefulness to this young lady," he told the GDN.

"I don't have any children and she will be like my daughter because she has saved me from this life of misery."

He said that his sponsor had also promised to pay for his air ticket.

Batelco has agreed to resolve the matter in co-ordination with Ms Bisht.

Mr Karuppan had used his CPR to take the phone connection for an Indian friend in July 1998, who didn't have a CPR.

However, the friend allegedly cheated him by renting the phone out to people to make international calls. Only the BD100 registration fee was paid by the friend though he'd promised to pay all further bills.

A month after taking the connection, Mr Karuppan, who works as a driver, received the bill of BD1,661 but was assured by his friend that he'd pay it.

His friend was caught by some people he had reportedly cheated over many years and handed over to the police.

He was jailed for a year and sent back home to Kasargode, in Kerala.