Four of five people jailed by a Dubai court for murder have returned, with the fifth waiting for his visa.
Published Feb 27, 2024 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 27, 2024 | 2:07 PM
Shivarathri Srinivas (left) with former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao (centre) in Dubai. (Supplied)
“We travel to another country seeking better prospects, as our state falls short in providing employment,” stated Shivarathri Srinivas.
On 21 February, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad witnessed joyous tears and embraces as two more Telangana men returned home after enduring an 18-year ordeal in a Dubai prison for their involvement in a murder case.
Five of them had been sentenced by a Dubai court to 25 years for the killing of a Nepalese watchman named Bahadur Singh. Of them, four men have already reunited with their families.
On 21 February, it was Shivarathri Mallesham and his brother Ravi, natives of the Rajanna Sircilla district who were welcomed warmly by their loved ones.
Dundugula Laxman returned two months earlier, and Shivarathri Hanmanthu arrived just two days before this homecoming.
The fifth convict — Gollam Nampally, who is mentioned as Venkatesh in his visa — is expected to be released next month.
Their return was made possible after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government approved their mercy petition, following an appeal by BRS working president and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) during his visit to Dubai in September 2023.
KTR facilitated their return by arranging for their flight tickets.
Throughout their incarceration in Aweer Jail in Dubai, KTR actively advocated for their release. He even travelled to Nepal in 2021 to offer ₹15 lakhs as compensation, or “Diyyah”, to the victim’s family under Sharia law.
Despite the victim’s family submitting mercy-petition documents to the UAE government, the approval was initially withheld due to the severity of the crime.
KTR — alongside the Indian consul general in Dubai, the legal counsel handling the case, and other government officials persisted — in the efforts to free the men.
During his visit to Dubai in September 2023, KTR appealed directly to the UAE government to consider the long period of incarceration already endured by the five men.
“To the best of our recollection, we haven’t been involved in the watchman’s murder. We primarily speak Telugu and struggle with broken Hindi,” Shivarathri Ravi, one of the accused, told South First.
“We went to Dubai for labour work like many others. We have come to regret the time away from our family,” he added.
Shivarathri Srinivas — the son of Shivarathri Mallesham, one of the four men who returned from Dubai — explained to South First the struggles of getting them back home.
He said, “We kept trying whatever could be done to get my father and the others back home.”
He noted: “Access to education is quite scarce in our community. While some of us pursue education, many do not. Consequently, when we hear about companies offering higher wages abroad, we seize the opportunity to try our luck elsewhere.”
Srinivas added: “Earnings within our region are often inadequate for sustaining a decent livelihood. Occasionally, our friends or relatives who have migrated to places like Dubai extend visa invitations to us. Alternatively, we contact them directly on occasion, requesting assistance for securing opportunities.”
He continued: “Infrequently, companies visit our districts to recruit labour, a practice more common in the past when employment opportunities were advertised in newspapers, prompting us to attend interviews tells Srinivas.”
Srinivas noted that these were not the only problems they would face when looking for employment opportunities abroad.
He explained: “Obtaining a visa can be an arduous endeavour, and the costs involved are substantial. Spending over ₹60,000 to travel adds a significant financial burden.”
What’s more, staying in touch with the family once one becomes settled abroad becomes a luxury due to the steep expenses associated with video and phone calls.
“In my case, my father Shivarathri Mallesham was incarcerated when I was just 11 years old. The circumstances surrounding his imprisonment in Dubai remain unclear to me,” he recalled.
“Despite our wait, his absence persisted, compelling me to seek opportunities in Muscat. Although the decision carried risks, I felt a responsibility towards my two sisters, particularly towards arranging their marriages. Especially with three family members — including my father — behind bars,” he said.
“In 2010, the Al Naba company offered me a job and facilitated my visa. Their provisions allowed me to start earning, sending ₹15,000 home every month. I was a cleaner on the ground in the airport,” he recounted.
“I meticulously saved even the smallest amounts, including money for phone and internet recharges, which were crucial for communication. However, with limited data, watching anything online quickly depleted the allowance. Consequently, we rationed our usage, reserving calls to family members for the final days of our recharge validity, often resorting to Skype,” he said.
“Despite my physical absence, I managed to fulfil my duty towards my sisters by arranging their marriages before returning to Telangana,” he added.
Srinivas said he decided to return to his hometown after recognising the importance of family over solely focusing on earning, having witnessed the presence of Odisha and Maharashtra labourers in Telangana.
“Determined to secure my father’s release from jail, I embarked on a journey seeking assistance from politicians. Eventually, I learned that former minister KT Rama Rao would be travelling to Dubai. I reached out to my friends residing in Dubai, requesting to stay with them until the minister’s visit,” he said.
“When the opportune day arrived, my roommates — otherwise lacking even the means for nearby travel — graciously accompanied me to meet the minister. There, I earnestly pleaded my case, initiating the process of securing my father’s release, along with others in similar situations,” said Srinivas.
