MANGALURU: A 28-year-old man from Uttara Kannada district has been confined to a small village in Saudi Arabia for the past four years after he was convicted in a road-accident case and slapped a Rs 7.6-lakh fine, which he has not been able to pay.
Mohammed Khalid, from Belni village in Bhatkal taluk of the coastal district, and his parents in India have been making requests to the authorities, friends and donors to crowdfund his way out of the confinement. His efforts, however, have met with little success.
Khalid told TOI he went to Saudi Arabia's Tayma village, 830km from Jeddah, more than eight years ago. "...I request govt of India to allow me to return home," he said, adding he cannot travel out of Saudi without paying up. The accident occurred when his car (owned by his sponsor) collided with another car belonging to a Saudi national. Following this, Khalid was convicted in the case and currently housed in a dormitory.
Khalid, who works as a daily labourer after losing his job as a driver, has launched a social-media campaign to reach out to friends, relatives, and organizations working in Saudi Arabia and Indian govt seeking help.
Khalid's mother Taslima Banu, who lives in a rented house in Bhatkal, has also been appealing to the Indian govt to save her son from further confined life.
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