Two Indians get freedom as ICWC steps in

Two Indians have been released from jail thanks to the efforts of the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC).

"We are very happy to inform that a case in which two Indian were found guilty and were ordered to pay Dh100,000 each has been successfully completed," said K Kumar of ICWC.

Gurmail Singh was released from the Central jail and Sudeesh from travel ban.

Sudheesh who is working as Safety Officer with Al Holla Concrete Technology Co (Contech) LLC in Dubai, was caught in a legal proceeding and has not been able to visit his parents (both are physically ill and mentally disturbed) for the past 3 years because his passport is impounded by the court. The case dates back to 9th May 2007.
 
On that day, Mohammed Irfan, a Pakistani national and a mobile crane supplier brought his crane to Contech company’s premises during lunch hour. Before anyone from the company could inspect it, the crane supplier and his operator Gurmail Singh went on to set up the crane. While setting up, the crane’s ‘fly jib’ got dislodged, fell on Mohammed Irfan and killed him instantaneously. The Crane operator Gurmail Singh was arrested by police and kept initially in police custody and subsequently in jail.
 
In the ensuing criminal proceedings (Case no. 13440/2007), Sudheesh who was the Safety Officer at Contech was also indicted as co-accused and his Indian passport was impounded by the court. The court passed its final verdict in the case on 21st September 2008 asking both Gurmail Singh and Sudheesh to pay Dh100,000 each as blood money together with Dh3,000 each as penalty.
 
When both appeals were rejected, Contech came forward to pay Dh103,000 (being blood money + penalty) on behalf of its employee Sudheesh. However, it was made known that unless the entire amount is paid by both the accused, the passport of one of the accused cannot be released. The company’s stand is that it is responsible only for its employee, Sudheesh and it has no connection or knowledge about Gurmail Singh, the operator of the ill-fated hired crane brought by the deceased crane supplier.
 
While Sudheesh’s passport remained with the courts for all these years Gurmail Singh was spending time in Dubai Central jail since 11th July 2009.
 
In our efforts to locate the relatives of the crane operator, Gurmail Singh, we came across some of his well-wishers in the UAE, who said that Gurmain Singh hails from a poor family and was jobless at the time of incident. Though they are trying to raise money to secure his release, the well-wishers could not do enough, yet.
 
While Sudeesh’s employer and friends personally sympathised with Gurmail Singh and his family, their primary concern was for their colleague Sudheesh, who is in severe depression because of his inability to visit his parents who have health problems and are now emotionally disturbed from the plight of their only son.
 
This case was on the radar of ICWC and was part of Project Eagle. ICWC’s convenor got everyone on board and after several rounds of negotiations with the legal heirs of the victim, the employers of Sudeesh, friends of Gurmail Singh, they reached an agreement which was fair for all.

Contech, employer of Sudeesh agreed to pay Dh103,000 while the victim’s legal heirs agreed to release Gurmail Singh with out any claim.
However since one of the victim’s legal heir happens to be a minor in compliance to Sharia Law an amount of Dh25,000/ was paid in the Dubai Court by ICWC.

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