From rxpgnews.com
Cheated Kuwaiti job aspirants petition Kerala chief minister
By RxPG News Service,
Nov 23, 2006 - 10:25:15 PM
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 23 (IANS) Thirteen people, who say they suffered inhuman treatment in Kuwait because of fraudulent activities of a Kerala-based recruiting agency, Thursday narrated their travails to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and urged his intervention to free other immigrants in distress.
Shahjahan, a 49-year-old resident of Thiruvananthapuram district, told reporters here that his wife Rubiya Begum had paid Rs.23,000 to Koya's Recruitment Agency and left for Kuwait two months back but there was no word from her for more than a month.
'I along with all the people here and P.C. George (a legislator of the ruling Left Democratic Front) have petitioned Achuthanandan to rescue my wife and close to 15 women and 25 youths who are in trouble in Kuwait after being cheated by this agency,' he said at a press meet here.
He was accompanied by 11 youngsters and a woman, Baby Babu.
Breaking down in sobs, Babu, a housewife from Ernakulam, said she had reached Kuwait in January 2005 and she was subjected to inhuman treatment there by the sons of the recruiting agency owner.
'I had paid Rs.80,000 to the agency. I was sold for 400 Kuwaiti dinars, was made to work at several homes in Kuwait and was subjected to the worst sufferings. For three months I was locked in a room where many women from Kerala were also lodged along with some goons of those who took me also was staying.
'I returned home Nov 18 last year only after my husband paid another Rs.150,000 to the agency,' she said.
A. George, 27, and Thomas Phillip, 29, said they had paid the agency Rs.80,000 each and reached Kuwait early this year only to find their dreams shattered as both were sold for 350 dinars to Kuwaiti citizens.
'Both of us were framed under false charges and were jailed for two months. I was beaten up. When we reached Mumbai in May this year I was hospitalised because of the torture I had to undergo in Kuwait,' said Phillip.
George said: 'Indian embassy officials in Kuwait are also hand in glove with these fraudulent agents. I have taken the matter up with Minister for Overseas Indians Vayalar Ravi.
Those who addressed the press conference said that many of them were threatened with dire consequences if they spoke against those behind the racket.
'Something has to be done because there are women and men from Kerala suffering what we had to undergo,' said Najeesh, another victim.
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