NIZAMABAD: Maturi Shankar, 52, saw his 18-year-old son for the first time on February 10. A quirk of fate changed his life and he ended up in Al-Fujairah jail in Dubai for the death of his co-worker Ramavatar Kumavat of Titanwar of Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, on October 21 in 2009, at the construction site where he worked as a foreman.
The company for which he worked and the police held him responsible for the death, and a court sentenced him to death in 2013. Shankar, hailing from Mendora village, pleaded innocence but it fell on deaf ears as the company, to escape its responsibility, framed him. Shanker then appealed for a reconsideration of his punishment following which the court directed that his family should obtain an amnesty document from the kin of the deceased man, in order to avoid the death sentence.
His wife Bhudevi, with the help of local TDP leader Yada Goud, approached the deceased’s family in Rajasthan and offered them a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and got an amnesty document signed by them. Bhudevi and Yada Goud raised the money through donations. An advocate in Dubai, Anuradha, took up Shankar’s case free of cost and presented the amnesty document in the court in 2019 following which he was acquitted. He walked out of the jail on February 7 and reached his native place on Friday. Yada Goud also arranged money for Shankar’s air ticket to reach India.
He found his jail life very hard as there was nothing to do except spending all the time in his small cell. Though he was served tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner on time, 14-year jail life was a mental torture for Shankar. He was allowed to come out of his cell for two hours every day during which he would do some physical exercises. He got a few minutes to speak to his family back in Nizamabad district on phone once a week.
“I suffered mental torture for 14 years in Dubai jail for no fault of mine. Every minute was a hell in jail,” recalled Shankar.He lost all hope of ever seeing his family. Shankar is very grateful to Yada Goud for helping him come out of jail. He was ecstatic when he saw his son Raju, now 18 years old, who is working in a shop in Armoor to supplement the income of his mother who toils as a farm hand. His one regret is missing playing with his son as a child.“At 35 I left for Dubai, now I am 52 years old and I have to start a new life again to help my wife and son,” said Shankar.