RIYADH, 15 December 2005 — An expatriate driver, who took out a vehicle insurance policy last Ramadan, is now in Shagra Jail, some 150 km from Riyadh, in the wake of a traffic accident. What gives a twist to the story is that he landed in prison after being released from detention because the insurance company failed to pay up.
It all happened during Ramadan when Ali Akbar, an Indian trailer-truck driver, parked his vehicle on the side of the road for a short break at night. Unfortunately, the parking light went out due to a loose electrical connection and a speeding car crashed into the trailer. A Saudi man involved in the accident died on the spot.
Informed sources said that the police who arrived on the scene arrested and jailed Ali Akbar, who was subsequently released after a few days since he had insurance cover. Five months later, according to an Indian Embassy spokesman, he was again arrested since the insurance company had not paid the blood money of SR100,000 to the dead man’s next of kin.
Because Ali Akbar is in jail, an official from the embassy is being sent to get the necessary information about the insurance company.
This is the second such case in which an insured individual has ended up in prison.
Abdul Nasser, also an Indian, found himself in jail when his car hit a Chinese national on a moped on the outskirts of Riyadh. He had a vehicle insurance policy; however, pending the settlement of claims, he remains in police custody.
