Palampur: Woman seeks government help for son's rescue

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, May 15

Gattan Devi has been moving from pillar to post for the past 11 years to get back her son Vijay Kumar from Saudi Arabia to India. He has been detained in Saudi Arabia after a mishap on the construction site when he was operating a machine.

The reporter reached the house of Gattan Devi at Rounkhar village near Nagrota Bagwan. The mother says that her son had been working in Almohar Trading and Construction Company in Saudi Arabia for the past 15 years. In 2011, while operating a machine, an accident took place and Vijay was booked under the Saudi laws for negligence of duty.

Later, a Saudi court also imposed a ban on his departure to India and his passport was also taken away. Since 2011, he has been in Riyadh and could not visit his family in Kangra district. The court imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh (1.5 lakh Riyal) on Vijay.

He has been asked to pay the amount, otherwise he would be put behind the bars.

His mother says that her son was a machine operator drawing a salary of Rs 22,000 per month (1,100 Riyal). Neither Vijay, nor the family is in a position to pay the fine.

She appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to help the family and get her son back in India.

Detained & fined

Vijay Kumar, a machine operator, was detained in S Arabia after an accident. A court imposed Rs 30 lakh fine on him. Neither he, nor the family is in a position to pay the amount.