Dubai, Aug 20 (Emirates 247): A couple in a Dubai jail since 2010 over unpaid debt has been released after a non-resident Indian (NRI) businessman paid off their debt.
The Indian couple were imprisoned after they failed to meet their financial obligations when their business went bust, leaving their children homeless.
The couple were among seven prisoners freed after an NRI businessman Firoz Merchant came forward with a donation of Dh76,000 to pay off their debts.
According to the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC), 97 Indians are in Dubai’s central prison for being unable to meet their financial obligations, some as low as Dh5,000.
The Indian Consulate, along with the ICWC, has come up with a plan to fund the release of those with unpaid debts of up to Dh10,000.
The move to help prisoners with financial cases comes in the wake of an announcement by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the UAE, promising assistance to Indian prisoners.
According to K Kumar of ICWC, there are about 400 Indians imprisoned in Dubai, with about 25 per cent of them imprisoned for financial issues.
“We have many cases where the penalties are less than Dh10,000. Our immediate priority is to somehow help get these people out,” he said.
Indian officials say they have initiated talks with prison and court officials in Dubai to work out a mechanism to free such prisoners.
According to Kumar, the UAE’s NRI community has begun pitching in to help free such prisoners.