By TCN News,
Mangalore: The tireless efforts of India Fraternity Forum (IFF) bore fruit at last. Sulaiman Nelyadi, a truck driver from Mangalore who was convicted and fined huge blood money for an accident, joined his family here on Wednesday. A Saudi court had asked him to pay 6 lakh Saudi riyals (75 lakhs Indian rupees) as blood money to the families of the victims who were died after ramming their car in to stationed truck of Sulaiman in Taif.
Sulaiman was recently released from Taif Jail after the great efforts of IFF. Three young girls, two boys, their mother and ailing grandmother were waiting for the arrival of Sulaiman at their home in Nellyady village in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. They were waiting for the day when their sole bread earner – who had left home for far Saudi Arabia in 2008 to win them a happy future – will be back home, even wretched, empty-handed.
Sulaiman Nelyadi [Photo courtesy: coastaldigest.com]
Suleiman was working as a truck driver for the past 25 years in India. To bring happiness in the life of his ailing mother, wife and five children — two sons and three daughters — 53-year-old Suleiman left for Saudi Arabia on 29th January 2008. He wanted to support his ailing mother and family; especially he was concerned for his three daughters.
A misfortune, however, was waiting for him there. Within two months of working as a truck driver in Taif, a misfortune struck Suleiman. A Saudi national driving a car full of passengers hit his truck that was parked on the roadside, killing six Saudi nationals. Suleiman was arrested by the Saudi police and sent to jail. He was put in Kuruma jail for 7 months and later transferred to Taif Central Jail. His sponsor refused to provide any help or support nor even ready to meet him during the critical and adverse period of three years. After the hearing of the case in Taif court, the judge gave the verdict to pay compensation of SR.675,000/= as blood money to heirs of the victims.
Sulaiman (in white shirt) accompanied by his two children and Popular Front members [Photo courtesy: PFI]
Since Suleiman was not in position to pay this huge amount, India Fraternity Forum, Taif chapter took up the case. In consultation with the Welfare section of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, Mr. Althaf, the Forum coordinator in Taif was authorized to proceed the case with the concerned govt. departments and since then Althaf had been regularly following up the case.
Althaf coordinated with India Fraternity Forum, Riyadh, who succeeded in convincing the insurance company of the truck to approve the payment of compensation to victims’ family. The insurance company issued a cheque for SR.675,000/- and submitted the same to the Taif court. Later Sulaiman was released from the Taif jail after completing all necessary formalities.