Efforts by a Keralite woman to bring back her children, who are currently staying in Saudi Arabia with their father, hit a roadblock as the Union Government made it clear that the Saudi government would not support deporting the children.
The Centre on Monday submitted before the Kerala High Court that efforts to bring back the two children of Jumaila, who are allegedly detained by their father Abdul Gafoor, were not fruitful.
Faiz Ahamed Kidwai, Consulate General of India at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, made the submission on a habeas corpus petition filed by Jumaila of Mambad in Malappuram seeking a directive to produce her two minor children, who are allegedly under the illegal custody of Gafoor, who is employed in Saudi. The court had asked the Centre to produce the children before the court.
The Centre submitted that as per the Saudi Arabian law, diplomatic missions are not allowed to communicate with Saudi employees directly. To resolve the issues, foreign diplomatic mission has to approach the Foreign Ministry for permission to take up the cases of expatriates in Saudi.
The consulate had no other option but to take up this matter through a local government authority.
The Central Government meanwhile ruled the passport of Abdul Gafoor invalid. The Centre further submitted that the former Consul General had met the Director General of Saudi Ministry and Foreign Affairs twice and took up the issue of the children’s deportation.
However, it was informed that Gafoor could not be deported as he had not committed any offence in that country. Officials of the consulate met the general manager of the company where Gafoor was working and requested his support in deporting the children. The Consulate had also tried to sent the children along with one of the consulate staff members to produce them before the court but the children also refused to leave Gafoor, Centre informed the court.
The court posted the hearing of the case after two weeks.