Indian amnesty seeker dies of heart attack in Dubai

Dubai, Jan 4: An Indian man, who worked illegally for six years in the UAE, died of heart attack when he went for applying for amnesty to return home.

Chakali Pentaiah died on December 16, according to his death certificate issued by the Ministry of Health. However, his family got to know about his death through a report that appeared in a Telugu newspaper in India on Thursday, 18 days after the incident took place, his brother-in-law Dubbaka Mallesham has said.

According to Mallesham, 46-year-old Pentaiah, a washer man, had last spoken to him while he was at the Investigation and Follow Up on Illegals Department in Al Aweer to apply for amnesty.

“He came here on a visit visa. But he did not get an employment visa. He pushed through six years by working illegally for many laundries here. He badly wanted to go home during the amnesty,” Mallesham said. Since Pentaiah had his original passport with him, Mallesham said, he was advised by the Indian consulate in Dubai to proceed to Al Aweer for applying directly for an outpass. “I only had sent him off in a taxi. He had talked to me a couple of times while he was in the long queue there. He told me about having tea and biscuits so that he can take the pill.” He said Pentaiah was suffering from chest pain and was on medication after visiting a hospital a week earlier. “When his mobile got switched off I initially thought the battery might have drained. But he did not get back later. I went to the Al Aweer department enquiring about him three days consecutively. But nobody knew about him and I thought he might have been arrested before getting deported. It was only when his son called me today after seeing the report about his death in the Andhra newspaper that I got to know about it.”

He said he approached Bur Dubai police and identified Pentaiah’s body on Thursday. “I don’t know when I can take his body home. My sister is devastated and not drinking or eating anything now,” said Mallesham who is on a laundry’s visa.

M. Bheem Reddy, vice-president of Hyderabad-based NGO Migrants Rights Council, said the Indian consulate was requested to repatriate the dead body as early as possible.