Saudi Arabia/Mangaluru: It has been a tough and unfair year for Jayaram Shetty, an Indian national from Neermarga, Mangalore, working as a Supervisor for a Cold Store Trading Company in Dammam after he was jailed in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for more than a year, convicted for a crime not committed by him. He was falsely implicated in a theft case by the very culprits of the case, by forcibly having him sign a blank paper and forging the document that said that he accepted the crime.
Shetty, a native of Mangalore, is married and has a three-year-old daughter and wife living back in Mangalore. He is the sole bread earner of the family and served in his company for more than 6 years in Dammam with excellent track records. His customers and his colleagues always praised him for his hardworking, sincerity and simplicity. In 2014, it was learnt that there was a theft case of 2 containers of Olive Oil in a far away yard of the company where Shetty worked as the Supervisor.
As told by Shetty, his work schedule began from 8am to 6pm and the said act of theft was not committed within the purview of the yard in which he was supervising. As per records maintained by the Company, there is no nexus between his duty and the alleged theft of containers as the same was committed far away from his supervisory yard. His responsibility to take care of the materials would be limited to within the yard and once the goods contained in the container leaves the said yard, the responsibility of the container shifted to the person who carried the said containers to its destination. However, he was falsely and frivolously accused by the Company in the theft case, which was committed by unknown persons.
Despite the fact known to the Company that Shetty was not the real culprit in the case, he was accused and handed over to the police. When the real culprits were not found, the Company made false allegations against Shetty and trapped him into a legal battle. He was made redundant by the Company on August 6, 2014 and was forced to remain in house confinement for more than 2 months where he was tortured continuously. He then was coerced to admit and sign on the Arabic paper, which he could not read. It was later found out that they had written in Arabic that Shetty has committed the crime and admitted that he has sold the goods for profit to an unknown company.
Based on the forged signature taken on the documents, on 17th October, 2014, Shetty was handed over to the Dammam Police. Since then, he has been in the jail and has faced trials in Dammam Court. Again based on the documents produced to the Court, the judgment was announced and Shetty was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment and flogging (lashes) for every 15 days. With all the pain Jayaram Shetty had to bear, the sentence pronounced by the Court was executed immediately. The tenure of imprisonment was over by August 2015 but Shetty was still not released from the jail as was kept imprisoned for more than a year illegally, despite repeated pleas to release. Jayaram Shetty’s wife Geetha and brother in law Hari Alva pleaded the Indian Mission in Dammam to look into the matter but in vain.
Later, through some reference, on 17th August, 2015 Hari Alva, brother-in-law of Jayaram contacted Social Worker Shodhan Prasad in Dubai who in an earlier instance had helped one Mangalorean in another similar case get released. Shodhan later took up the matter actively with his some of his known associates in MASA & KWAR in Saudi Arabia who promised will help in this case. Later, Shodhan also met and requested Dr. B.R. Shetty in Abu Dhabi to help. Continuing the fight Shodhan contacted his friend Social Worker, Advocate P.A. Hameed who is based in Riyadh and he took up Jayaram Shetty’s case seriously and sent a plea to Bader Al-Qassim who is the Chief of the Human Rights Commission in Dammam registering the case for a fair judgment. While the study of his case was going on in HRC he additionally arranged to send a personal plea from Geetha Jayaram Shetty to His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Humane & Philanthropic Prince of Saudi Royal Family. However, the case did not get a quick response and was moving slow without any result.
Shodhan did not give up the fight and was constantly in touch with Jayaram Shetty through mobile contact in jail and consoling him daily. Luckily, there was a sharing mobile facility in there wherein they get daily one or two chances to talk. Shodhan then on 9th December, 2015 sent a request letter to H.E. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister copying to all the Junior Ministers in the Portfolio which got an immediate response the very next day itself which showed positive signs.
External Affairs Ministry replied and gave a reference number for the grievance and asked to log on to Madad portal with the said reference which he did and was following up with the case. It was learnt that Indian Embassy was not taking the matter serious until then and later Shodhan contacted the Indian Embassy in Riyadh who said they are aware of the case and will do the needful. They also informed that the owner of the company where Jayaram worked had put another false case of money theft against him and because of this he is still kept in jail awaiting hearing of the case.
Later, with the follow-up it was learnt that the Jayaram’s Employer was not responding to the case hearing probably knowing that the matter is getting serious through Diplomatic mission, hence was not attending the case. Since he did not appear for many hearings, the court black listed him and the case was closed. Taking opportunity of this and pleading with the Jail Authorities of Jayaram’s innocence, the Jail Captain agreed to release Jayaram provided he gets his Passport or Exit Pass from Indian Embassy immediately.
Shodhan contacted the Embassy again and requested them to issue a Exit Pass in the absence of the Passport which was held by the Employer who was absconding. After constant follow-up the Embassy arranged to deliver the Exit Pass to Jail Authorities last week who then asked Jayaram to arrange money for his Air Ticket. On his request Shodhan with the help of some Members of Nama Tuluveru UAE, collected cash and arranged to send the same to the Jail Authorities who acknowledged receipt and arranged one way air ticket back to Mangalore.
Jayaram reached Mumbai this morning and is now a free bird and can join his family after a period of more than a year struggling in the Jail. He will have to forget this bad experience and start a new life. It is learnt that Jayaram received contribution from MASA on his return but his dues with the Employer is still pending which has to be taken up later.
