Yet another youth of this district has faced torture and harassment at the hand of his employer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Ranjan Kumar Rout of Garama village under Jaanra Barimula Panchayat in Derabish block, after returning from UAE, brought his sordid tale to the fore.
According to Rout, he belongs to a poor family and desperately wanted a job. He met one Harekrushna Samal of Kulaharipur in Chandikhol area who assured to engage him as a plumber in the UAE with a monthly salary of 1,200 Dirham.
Ranjan along with five other youths, including two youths from Bhadrak, one each from Rajnagar, Pakhat and Kerilo, went to the UAE through a Bhubaneswar-based job agency with the help of Harekrushna. Ranjan gave Rs 86,000 as fee
for preparation of his visa and other documents. On
February 8, he set out for the UAE with the five others and landed at Ajaman.
Though he was to work as a plumber in a company, he was forced to work under a mason. When he refused, he faced both mental and physical torture. He and the other five were threatened of dire consequence if they did not oblige. They were also threatened to be sent to Pakistan, alleged Ranjan.
Ranjan managed to contact his family members over phone and asked them to take steps for his return. His brother-in-law sent flight tickets for his
return. He and another Prakash Singh of Kerilo village under Nischantakoili area managed to flee to Mumbai on February 19.
Ranjan’s wife Rasmita Rout on Wednesday met Harekrushna’s wife house at Kulaharipur and demanded the money paid before going to the UAE. But she was allegedly misbehaved and manhandled there.