<p>Sulaiman from Nellyadi near here left the Indian shores in the beginning of last year, hoping to make some money for the weddings of his daughters.<br /><br />Little did he imagine that his dreams would lay shattered in a shortwhile and instead he would have to mobilise a whopping Rs 75 lakh (Riyal 5.5 lakh) to walk a free man from a Saudi jail and that too for no fault of his. But under the Saudi law, 54-year-old Sulaiman is an accused as his vehicle was involved in an accident in the Gulf.<br /><br />Sulaiman, who was earlier working as a driver in Nellyadi, secured the visa with the help of a relative, Abdul Hadi Sanam, now residing in Saudi Arabia. He sold his five cents of land and house to raise Rs one lakh to fly to Saudi on January 26, 2008.<br /><br />Shocking news awaited him when he landed in the Gulf and met Abdul Hadi Sanam. He was told that there was no job. After two months of struggle, he landed a job as a truck driver for one Bava Jaz Al Thaimi.<br /><br />Even before Sulaiman started breathing easy, his troubles began. In the middle of last year, he had parked his truck on the Dhammam-Jeddah road to attend to nature’s call. <br />But before he could return to the truck, a car carrying six Saudi citizens had crashed into his vehicle, killing them on the spot. <br /><br />Guilty of accident<br /><br />Sulaiman was booked and arrested as under Saudi law, the driver of the bigger vehicle is considered guilty of causing the accident. A court in that country ordered Sulaiman to pay Riyal 5.5 lakh or face jail term. He has been languishing in jail for one and a half year and is cut off from the family.<br /><br />Back at home, his 80-year-old mother, wife Jameela and five children are worried, and uncertain about their future. Residing in a rented house, they are struggling even for a square meal. <br /><br />The family learnt about the incident through other drivers. “My husband, who had gone to earn money, is in jail for no fault of his. Leave alone Rs 75 lakh, I am not in a position to earn Rs 75. I want my husband to come back as soon as possible,” Jameela said.<br /><br />She has already written letters to the President, the State Governor, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and local MLA, asking them to intervene and rescue her husband.<br /></p>
<p>Sulaiman from Nellyadi near here left the Indian shores in the beginning of last year, hoping to make some money for the weddings of his daughters.<br /><br />Little did he imagine that his dreams would lay shattered in a shortwhile and instead he would have to mobilise a whopping Rs 75 lakh (Riyal 5.5 lakh) to walk a free man from a Saudi jail and that too for no fault of his. But under the Saudi law, 54-year-old Sulaiman is an accused as his vehicle was involved in an accident in the Gulf.<br /><br />Sulaiman, who was earlier working as a driver in Nellyadi, secured the visa with the help of a relative, Abdul Hadi Sanam, now residing in Saudi Arabia. He sold his five cents of land and house to raise Rs one lakh to fly to Saudi on January 26, 2008.<br /><br />Shocking news awaited him when he landed in the Gulf and met Abdul Hadi Sanam. He was told that there was no job. After two months of struggle, he landed a job as a truck driver for one Bava Jaz Al Thaimi.<br /><br />Even before Sulaiman started breathing easy, his troubles began. In the middle of last year, he had parked his truck on the Dhammam-Jeddah road to attend to nature’s call. <br />But before he could return to the truck, a car carrying six Saudi citizens had crashed into his vehicle, killing them on the spot. <br /><br />Guilty of accident<br /><br />Sulaiman was booked and arrested as under Saudi law, the driver of the bigger vehicle is considered guilty of causing the accident. A court in that country ordered Sulaiman to pay Riyal 5.5 lakh or face jail term. He has been languishing in jail for one and a half year and is cut off from the family.<br /><br />Back at home, his 80-year-old mother, wife Jameela and five children are worried, and uncertain about their future. Residing in a rented house, they are struggling even for a square meal. <br /><br />The family learnt about the incident through other drivers. “My husband, who had gone to earn money, is in jail for no fault of his. Leave alone Rs 75 lakh, I am not in a position to earn Rs 75. I want my husband to come back as soon as possible,” Jameela said.<br /><br />She has already written letters to the President, the State Governor, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and local MLA, asking them to intervene and rescue her husband.<br /></p>
