Kerala couple freed from Saudi jail reaches home

By IANS,

Kottayam : Roy Joseph and his wife Biji of Kerala, freed after being jailed in Saudi Arabia for the past two years, reached their home here Saturday.


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The couple was convicted for employing a Nepali maid, who had no valid documents to work in Saudi Arabia and who was found dead near their home two years ago.

She used to look after their twin kids Steffi and Albert, then aged two.

Joseph said the whole episode was bungled by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.

“I really wish to know what the Indian Embassy did for us. We were jailed and all what we were asked was how long was the maid employed with us,” a shattered Joseph told IANS.

Joseph worked with a construction company, and his wife was a nurse at Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh.

Recalling the events that led to their two-year jail term, Joseph said the maid was with them from Feb 20 to July 6, 2006.

“She was found dead near our home with our house key and a mobile phone. We were questioned as we were her employers. But they never did any investigation on the calls she received on her mobile before her death. Till today, nobody has told us how and what happened to her. Whether it was a murder or an accident. But we suffered for two years,” said Joseph.

The couple arrived at the Kochi airport Saturday morning and were received by their relatives. They met their children after two years.

“We were in separate prisons. We were not allowed to meet each other. The ordeal is over,” said Joseph.

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