Bahrain16 November 20152 min read

‘Free visa’ victim returns home

By Mohammed Zafran/DTNN, zafran@dt.bh. A victim of a 'free visa' racket, Balhar Singh, who was stranded in Bahrain for over 10 years, has returned to India, thanks to the help of donors and volunteers. Singh came to Bahrain on a 'free visa' in 1999. The free visa racketeer filed a court case against him for BD1,624 in

Editorial Team Legacy

Published 16 November 2015, 8:00 · Updated 21:27

Link copied

A victim of a ‘free visa’ racket, Balhar Singh, who was stranded in Bahrain for over 10 years, has returned to India, thanks to the help of donors and volunteers.

Singh came to Bahrain on a ‘free visa’ in 1999. The free visa racketeer filed a court case against him for BD1,624 in 2003, so when Singh tried to leave the country in 2008, he could not because of a travel ban imposed on him.

The Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) came to his aid earlier this year after they learned about his situation. The society studied his case and collected donations to settle the case, to enable Singh to utilise the

amnesty period. Yesterday, the society announced that the judgment amount was paid off and Singh returned to India.

“We are happy to report that Balhar Singh, who was unable to leave Bahrain during two prior amnesties after initially arriving in Bahrain in 1999, has now reached home in India. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the generous members of the community for their donations, which helped pay off the judgment amount and interest owed which allowed Balhar to benefit from this year’s amnesty,” the MWPS said in a statement.

A spokesperson for MWPS told DT News: “BD1,624 was paid and an additional BD350 also had to be paid as interest. We had donors who covered the flight expenses as well.”

The spokesperson noted that Singh was in good health on his return journey.

“A few weeks ago, he was admitted to the Salmaniya Medical Complex, where the doctors had suggested him to undergo check-up every six months and asked him to continue treatment here, but he wanted to return to his country. He said his relatives in India would help him. They messaged us saying he reached home safe. Singh is very grateful to all donors. Before leaving, he had written a letter in Hindi thanking everyone who helped him,” the spokesperson said.

‘Free visa’ victim returns home

Editorial Team Legacy

Share your reaction!

Comments