Hyderabad: A Karimnagar man who put out a video asking to be rescued from a desert in
Saudi Arabia where he was being forced to work against his wishes has been rescued by the Indian Embassy.
The embassy handed Veeraiah of Thummapuram mandal a ticket to return home on Tuesday. “Thanks to constant efforts and vigorous follow-up by the Indian embassy in Riyadh, Veeraiah will finally join his family in India on June 25,” the embassy informed.
TRS working president KT Rama Rao contacted the embassy and requested officials to speed up his return. Appreciating the embassy for its “fantastic’ job”, KTR tweeted, “Welcome home Veeraiah garu.”
Rakesh Dattatreya Sukumara Sharma tweeted Veeraiah’s viral video pleading to the embassy and KT Rama Rao for help on May 8.
Veeraiah, who had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2017, was made to care for a hundred camels, and was starved and tortured by his kafil. He was also denied permission to visit India for his deceased mother’s last rites on March 30.
The Indian Embassy tracked him down with much effort and negotiated with the kafil to send him back after Eid. On Tuesday, the embassy handed over Veeraiah an air ticket to travel back to his family in Karimnagar.