The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has sent a report to the Ministry of External Affairs about the condition of Abdul Sattar Makandar, who recently made an appeal to be rescued from his Saudi employers.
On Tuesday External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted saying that the MEA had received a report from the Embassy which included a comprehensive reply from the company that employs Sattar. She added that the ministry would handle the case diplomatically.
The same day, Abdul's mother also filed a petition to bring back Abdul to Dandeli Rural PSI.
Abdul Sattar Makandar - Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has sent me a report with a comprehensive reply from the Company. /1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 22, 2016
Please let us handle this matter at the diplomatic level. /2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 22, 2016
Sattar has been working as a driver for Al Suroor United group for the past 23 months. He belongs to Hasan Maad village in Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.
He pleaded for his rescue through a video that was published by Delhi-based activist Kundan Srivastava on Youtube on March 14, 2016. A sobbing Abdul talks about being made to work more and being paid less than he was promised, and that too after much delay. He also claims that he is not given breaks between work and has been made to work for long hours.
Abdul was arrested on March 15 and was released briefly after Kundan Srivastava posted an apology message by Abdul on March 17. He was arrested again on early hours of March 18.