Two NRI women from Karnataka being tortured by sponsor in Saudi Arabia; official intervention sought

Riyadh, May 27: Two NRI women from Karnataka, who are reportedly being exploited by their sponsor in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for over a couple of years, are looking for help from the authorities.

Davanagere’s Fairoza Banu and Tumakuru’s Sabiha were duped by Sikandar and Nayaz Ahmed of their localities respectively who sent them to Saudi Arabia through a Mumbai based agent after promising attractive salaries. While Fairoza reached the Kingdom two years ago, Sabiha had landed there three years ago. Both the women hail from financially poor background and to support their families they had been doing menial jobs before were tricked to leave the country.

After the plight of these two women, who are being treated as bonded labourers, came to light, a couple of NRI activists are trying to help them to return home.  

Saudi-based social worker and pro bono advocate P.A.Hameed Padubidri has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia besides approaching the India Embassy to exert pressure on the authorities concerned to intervene in the issue. Yaseen Gulbrga, a social worker based in Dammam, is also striving to help the stranded women. It was he who managed to trace the women in the remote area in the Kingdom as they had been literally cut off from the rest of the world.  

In his letter to the rights panel, Mr Padubidri said Fairoza and Sabiha were brought on visit visa (with the validity of 90 days not allowed to work) to Saudi Arabia by one Sa'ad Rahil Mukhlef Al-Anazi, a Saudi, holding National ID No.1-0197-7522-8-1. He is presently residing at Al-Qurayat on King Faisal-8521area and his contact No. 0557521451.

“Al-Anazi compelled Fairoza to go to Sakakah to work as a housemaid for a Saudi family while Sabiha was retained at his house to work as a housemaid though she was sent for another family for sometimes. When they were reluctant to go to other places to work, he behaved harshly with them by giving torture and beating with sticks. Till now, he continued to harass them mentally and physically and kept them illegally by violating the visa rules of the KSA,” he said. 

“They have no Iqama nor any valid document nor their own passports. Both are not given salaries for 7 and 9 months respectively. Their passports are taken by him. He kept them unlawfully against their wills and wishes without sending them to India despite of their continuous requests and cries. Fairoza's mother also passed away around four months ago, but all their cries went in vain.”

“When they asked for their salaries, he is used abusive words and pushed Sabiha to the wall. As Fairoza is working for others, she is physically free from his harassment, but he is giving her tortures over phones very often. He completely violated their basic human rights and dignities and keeping them under constant threats and misbehavior,” revealed Mr Padubidri. 

Mr Padubidri urged the authorities to take appropriate action as per the Saudi Arabian law against the accused and free the two women.