KTR promises to support rehabilitation of Telangana men released from UAE jail

SIRCILLA: BRS Working President K T Rama Rao (KTR) has expressed profound joy at the release of four out of five Telangana men from a Dubai jail after 18 years following their conviction of the mid-2000s murder of Nepali watchman Bahadur.

KTR visited Peddur village in Rajanna Sircilla district on Wednesday to meet the families of Shivratri Mallesham and Shivratri Ravi, recently released brothers, along with Shivarathri Hanumantha and Dandugula Laxman, who had returned earlier. The fifth person, Venkatesh, is expected to return soon.

While expressing satisfaction at the release of the four men, KTR pledged support for their rehabilitation despite the BRS not being in power. He inquired about other Telangana citizens in UAE jails and urged party leaders to gather information for assistance.

Mallesham, Ravi, and their families thanked KTR for ensuring their release from the Gulf jail. Mallesham said all five men and their families were indebted to KTR, who had spent over Rs 30 lakh for their release, including compensation paid to the family of the Nepali watchman and other legal expenses.

The entire village accorded KTR a warm welcome. Mallesham informed KTR that he went to the UAE through an agent in the early 2000s. He complained that several poor men were cheated by agents who had sent them to Gulf countries to work in odd conditions. He said the unfortunate incident that landed him and four others in jail happened almost six years after he went there.

KTR recalled that BRS leaders from Sircilla, Nagabhushan, and Balu brought to his attention the ordeal faced by Mallesham and others in the UAE jail. He said another person called Rajashekhar came forward, offering financial assistance to ensure their release. He also recalled his visit to Kathmandu in Nepal, where he met the family of the Nepali watchman to pay compensation. He thought all five men would be released after the payment of compensation. But the legal battle extended, taking longer than expected for their release.

Expressing satisfaction that four out of five men had already been released and another would also come home soon, KTR asked what more he could do to ensure they stood on their feet. Unfortunately, the BRS was not in power in Telangana. However, on behalf of the BRS party, he said he would do everything to ensure their welfare, as they had suffered enough by spending over 18 years of their lives in jail.

When asked by KTR about similar cases of Telangana people lodged in UAE jails, Mallesham said he knew about five such cases. Further, KTR asked the party leaders to gather information about those cases and other cases whose families needed help. He also hoped that the present Congress government would do something to help the five men released from jail.

KTR also advised people from Telangana not to fall into the trap of agents. He said Telangana, especially Hyderabad, had witnessed so much development that there were more opportunities for work for labourers than in the UAE. He said nearly 35,000 workers from other states, like Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, etc., were doing jobs as labourers, carpenters, and electricians on project sites in Hyderabad. However, he said the workforce from Telangana was opting for jobs in Gulf countries. He advised all workers to explore job opportunities in Hyderabad and other places instead of going to the Gulf, where they were forced to work in inhuman conditions and for less pay.

He assured them that the BRS party would extend all help to Mallesh, Ravi, Hanumantha, Laxman, and Venkatesh, who had suffered greatly due to a long sentence.

Meanwhile, Mallesham suggested that a documentary should be made on the sufferings of people who fell victim to cheating by agents or become victims of circumstances in Gulf countries. KTR supported his idea and advised them to create awareness among all regarding the precautions to prevent themselves from getting cheated by agents.