Ranchi, April 13: Mohammed Afsar Ansari, a young man from Jharkhand, was allegedly killed by his employers in Saudi Arabia because he wanted to return to India, and his widow, Noushaba Bano, has been fighting to get his mortal remains home.
Two years ago, Mohammed Afsar Ansari, a young man from Jharkhand, got himself a job in Saudi Arabia, hoping it would ensure a better life for his family. Today, his widow, Noushaba Bano, who’s in her early 20s, is fighting to get the mortal remains of her 27-year-old husband. Ansari died mysteriously in March 2015. His family allege he was killed by his Saudi employers and the entire act was videotaped to scare other workers like Ansari who want to quit their jobs and return to India.
The family claims Ansari wanted to quit his job as a bulldozer operator in a construction company as he felt he was being exploited by his employers.
When she learnt of her husband’s death in March last year, Bano moved the Delhi High Court through her counsel Jose Abraham, seeking directions to get his body sent to India.
Bano’s petition states that her husband, along with other two workers, were taken by force and thrashed for expressing their wish to return home. “We got to know from his colleagues that they hit him hard and he succumbed to his injuries. They even shot a video and showed it to other employees to intimidate them so that they never speak of returning to India,” said Ansari’s brother, Mukhtar.
The High Court in December directed the Government of India and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to ensure that Ansari’s mortal remains are sent to India as expeditiously as possible, preferably in a month’s time.
Rajesh Kumar Gogna, standing counsel for the Government of India, said: “The court has sought status report from the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. We are trying our best to help the petitioner. The embassy has been informed to file the report that would be submitted by April 19.”
