Chennai, April 26: Two Indian workers promised construction work in Saudi Arabia but sold as slaves to a camel farm owner are languishing without food in the desert there, say their family members in Tamil Nadu.
A. Muniasamy, 45, hailing from Ramanathapuram district and 44-year-old Jagabir Ali from Nagapattinam district have been stuck on a camel farm for the past three months with an expired visa.
“They are also being tortured, with no medication for their wounds. The farm is located in a remote place with the sea on one side and the desert on the other. The nearest market is around 50 km away from the farm,” G. Subramanian, executive director of Manitham, a human rights organisation told IANS.
Manitham has taken up the issue of the two Indians with the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to IANS over phone, Prabhavathi, Muniasamy’s wife said: “I spoke to my husband a couple of days back. He said that food was a problem. We came to know that he had been sold to a camel farm owner soon after he went to Saudi Arabia.”
“I have bought you. And I cannot send you back to India. This is what the camel farm owner had told my husband,” Prabhavathi, mother of two said in a choking voice.
She said Muniasamy had worked abroad prior to their marriage and this is the first time he was cheated.
Subramanian said he got the information about the two Indian workers slaving it out in Saudi Arabia around 15 days back.
“We did cross check their case with people whom we know in Saudi Arabia and found it to be true,” he said.
Subramanian had sent a brief about the case of Muniasamy and Ali to T.C. Barupal, first secretary, Community Welfare at the Indian External Affairs Ministry in Riyadh.
“He has forwarded my email to another official, marking a copy to me,” Subramanian said.
Both the unfortunate victims had gone to Saudi Arabia, paying Rs.150,000 to Sofia Travels based in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu .
The agent guaranteed construction jobs in Riyadh and issued a validated 90 days visa from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the duo.
The two had boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia January 23.
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