Battered Indian driver seeks immediate repatriation

An Indian driver is seeking repatriation after allegedly being subject to physical assault by his employer in Jeddah.
Shaikh Shafi, a father of two from Andhra Pradesh in India, had arrived to work as house driver with a Saudi family in north Jeddah eight months ago.
According to Shafi, he was not paid regularly and was given neither a residency permit nor a copy if it existed. He was also not given a photocopy of his passport.
Speaking with Arab News, Shafi said, “After waiting four months, I asked for my dues, which totaled SR 4,000. My earlier salaries were paid in installments of SR 100 to SR 200. I have never been paid a full salary on time.
“When I asked about my salary, my sponsor hit me in the face, causing some of my teeth to fall out. He threatened me saying that if I went to the Indian Embassy or the police, he would accuse me of theft, so I kept quiet.”
Shafi was recruited as a driver but was forced later to work as a cleaner in both the employer’s house and the massive residential building that he rents out.
“I recently requested part of my salary so I can recharge my phone. I was assaulted again and told that I don’t clean well. I went to the police station with a bloody face. They referred me to King Fahad Hospital, where I received 11 stitches,” he said.
Shafi said, “I went to the Indian Consulate three times. On my first two visits, I was told by the officials they did not have time to follow up on my case. On my last visit, I returned my self from the consulate after seeing a huge crowd of amnesty seekers at the main gate. Later on, the consulate officials told me to bring a copy of my passport to prove that I am an Indian citizen.”
Shafi has two daughters, a wife and elderly parents. His father is handicapped.
He also supports a widowed sister who has two children, one of whom is also handicapped. Shafi said he had to borrow 80,000 rupees (SR 5,500) to come to Saudi Arabia.
The sponsor could not be reached for comment.