HUBBALLI/HAVERI: The family members of Rakesh Kitturmath who is facing imprisonment in Dubai are shattered after hearing the news. Most of the family members and relatives in Ranebennur have gone incommunicado after the news.
Rakesh was sacked from his company in Dubai on April 10 after his hate comments towards the Muslim community. Rakesh who had completed ITI in Haveri worked as technician in Bengaluru before getting job in Dubai
Rakesh's family resides in Kunabevu plot in Ranebennur. He is married and has two children. His wife and children are now shifted to their relatives home after hearing the news. The other family members too have shifted to relatives houses after the news of their kin facing imprisonment reached them.
After being sacked from his company, Rakesh has requested several leaders in India for his release through his social media accounts. One of messages from Rakesh read, "Dubai police may arrest me. Please help me. I want to spend my life with my family not in jail. I accept my mistake and realized about my mistake now I want to come back India". Its still unclear whether he has been arrested by the Dubai police.
Rakesh was serving in an electric company in Bengaluru which had sent him to Dubai. The neighbours of Rakesh claimed that the family has distanced themselves from everyone and their phones are switched off. "We got to know about the news through some relatives. He has been booked for hate comments against Islam. There is not clarity over the issue and we hope he will be released and sent back to India," said a neighbour.
Not The First Case
In December 2019, Harish Bangera, a resident of Udupi was arrested by Saudi police for similar kind of offence. The family is still awaiting for some positive news. "We suspect that someone created a fake account and released in the name of Harish. The Saudi authorities have produced Harish before the court and he is currently under prison. The authorities had sought details from the local administration but due to ongoing coronavirus scare has delayed the case further," informed a family member Bangera.