Kerala Police planning to seek extradition of prime accused

The victims were forced to work in a hollow brick manufacturing unit where they were tortured by the Saudi employer.

Alapuzha: Kerala Police are planning to seek the "deportation" of Shamshad Basheer from the district, who had sent three youths to Saudi Arabia promising

highly- paid jobs but sent them to work in a hollow brick-manufacturing unit where they were tortured by their employer.

"We have given a report to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia stating that Basheer should be deported as a case has been registered against him in Kerala. A look-out circular has also been issued at all airports in India and abroad", Kayamkulam Dysp S Devamanohar told PTI.

Basheer, hailing from Thrikkunappuzha, a village in Haripad in Alapuzha district, had promised the youths Abilash Gopi, B Vimal Kumar and Baiju Babu from the same village jobs as diesel mechanic and automobile electricians in a company called Silverwood Trading and Contracting Establishment and taken them to Saudi Arabia.

However, they were forced to work in a hollow brick manufacturing unit where they were tortured by the Saudi employer.

Another accused, Vinod Kumar, a police officer, now on suspension, is absconding. He has approached a court for anticipatory bail.

A Watsapp video showing the Saudi employer assaulting them with a wooden club was sent to their relatives in Alapuzha, following which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj intervened to help them.

The relatives of the three youth also filed a police complaint and a case has been registered against the accused.

The three returned to Kerala on Saturday morning and said they had received threats from Basheer shortly before they left for Kerala. Narrating their horrible plight, they said their employer had spat on their face when they demanded their wages and food.

Police said they had been told by the three that Basheer had threatened them with dire consequences on their return to the state.

The three had gone to the Gulf country hoping to improve the condition of those back home.

Abilash had taken loan to build a house and had hoped that employment abroad will help him clear his loan fast. They had taken money as loans for their Saudi trip and visa.

The three had said they had tortured by their Saudi employer for a month and when they said they wanted to return to the state, he had hit them with a wooden plank and spat on their face.