NRI couple arrested in Saudi Arabia on black magic charges

An NRI couple has been arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of practising black magic, official sources said here today.

Seikh Nizam and Noor Jehan, originally from Odisha's Kendrapara township, had shifted to Turba city of Saudi Arabia few years ago where they claimed to be a healer and mystic.The couple was arrested last month after authorities reportedly found a variety of occult items in their possession, including herbs, Consulate general office of India office in Jeddah said.

Raj Kumar, the community welfare officer of the consulate in Jeddah told PTI over phone, "The couple had allegedly resorted to black magic and a complaint in this regard had been lodged by their Saudi employer Mohammad Safi in Turba town near Jeddah".

He said they are lodged in a jail and are facing trial as per Saudi law. If found guilty, they may have undergo minimum of two years of rigorous imprisonment.

After the couple was arrested, their six children were left alone in their rented house and had to undergo harrowing ordeal in the alien country for three weeks.

They were flown back to their hometown here last week by the Indian Consulate after some expatriates raised the issue.

The children, eldest hardly 12-year-old and youngest hardly of 18 months, are now staying in their paternal uncle's house here.