Was jailed because of him: NRI businessman on Kerala expat Thushar Vellappally arrest

38-year-old Nazil Abdullah claimed that Thushar’s company Boeing Constructions refused to make payments to him for a work that Nazil’s firm sub contracted from Thushar’s company.
Thushar Vellappally received bail following the intervention of billionaire businessman MA Yusuff Ali. (Screengrab)
Thushar Vellappally received bail following the intervention of billionaire businessman MA Yusuff Ali. (Screengrab)

KOCHI: For Dubai-based young entrepreneur Nazil Abdullah, it was a last-ditch effort to regain at least some of what he has lost when he decided to move against Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) president Thushar Vellappally with a cheque bounce case in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  

When asked about the case, the 38-year-old engineering graduate from Mathilakam in Kodungalloor narrates a tale of suffering, treachery and intimidation, and says Thushar’s company Boeing Constructions refused to make payments to him for a work that Nazil’s firm sub contracted from Thushar’s company.

“I lost everything and was in jail for more than six months because of the breach of trust committed by Thushar. I knew that I was taking on a bigwig who has immense influence with the state and Union governments. I am legally strong because I have all documents to support my claim. I decided to move against him legally because both Thushar and his father Vellappally Natesan were not ready to help me when I repeatedly approached them,” Nazil said in a WhatsApp clip which he sent to TNIE.

Thushar was arrested in Ajman, UAE on Thursday in connection with the cheque-bounce case and later released on bail. Efforts are currently on for an out-of-the-court settlement in the case. Reports said after talking over phone, Thushar and Nazil met at a hotel where Thushar has been staying after being released on bail. Confirming that talks are on for a possible settlement between him and Nazil, Thushar on Friday claimed that the case against him was the result of a misunderstanding.

‘Ready for an amicable settlement’

Thushar said he didn’t nurse any grudge against Nazil. The latter too said he was ready for an amicable settlement of the case. Nazil said he had to close down his firm, Harmony Constructions, when he was put in jail based on cases filed against him by a few vendors from whom he had sourced materials to complete the works for Thushar’s company. “Being a small MEP contracting firm, we used to take works on sub contract from major construction firms in UAE and Thushar’s company was one such. 

As Thushar’s company failed to make payments, we stopped the works. We later resumed works after Thushar’s company signed a payment agreement and a blank cheque was given as surety. But things went awry when Thushar’s company again refused payment,” he said.

Nazil said when people who supplied materials to him did not get their payments, they filed cases against him. “Banks froze my account and I was put in jail. There was none to help me except the few vendors who came to know about my plight and withdrew their cases. After coming out of jail, I had to do all sorts of odd jobs to look after my wife and child. It was after exhausting all options that I took to legal recourse,” Nazil said, adding that he wasn’t afraid of the consequences. “I am not afraid. I am fighting for the money owed to me.”

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