HYDERABAD: IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao urged the government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) to consider and approve the mercy petition of five NRIs from the Rajanna-Sircilla district, who are languishing in the Aweer Jail in Dubai. Rama Rao, who is in Dubai on a business trip, met the UAE government officials to intensify his efforts to get the NRIs repatriated at the earliest.
Rama Rao spoke to the Indian Consul General in Dubai, the Arab lawyer who is handling the case, and other government officials to enquire about the status of the case and urged for the mercy petition approval. Five Indian nationals, identified as Shivarathri Mallesh, Shivarathri Ravi, Gollem Nampally, Dundugula Laxman and Shivarathri Hanmanthu are lodged in the Aweer prison in connection with the death of a Nepali and they have already completed a sentence of 15 years. For years, the minister has been making all possible efforts to get them released.
Rama Rao personally visited Nepal to meet the deceased’s family members to hand over `15 lakh as ‘victim’s compensation’ as per Sharia Law ‘Diyyah’ (also referred to as ‘blood money’). Later, the victim’s family submitted the mercy petition documents to the UAE government. However, due to some unknown reasons and the gravity of the crime, the UAE government did not approve the mercy petition. Six months ago, the minister enquired about the progress of the case and made several attempts to get them released.
During his latest trip to Dubai, Rama Rao once again brought the facts of the case to the notice of Indian consul officials and the Dubai government officials. Expressing his concern, the minister requested the UAE government to approve the mercy petition considering that the five NRIs have already served a sentence of 15 years and also hold a good conduct certificate from the jail authorities.
As the Dubai court has rejected the case, Rama Rao urged the officials that he had to get the five Indian nationals repatriated with the approval of the mercy petition by UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed. Rama Rao, earlier met a few businessmen who have close ties with the ruler’s family and requested their help in the release of the NRIs. The businessmen assured that they would take up the issue with the Dubai government within the purview of the local laws.
Rama Rao made an earnest appeal to Indian Consul General Ram Kumar to put special efforts for resolving the case and assured all the support at the personal level and also from the State government side.