Centre's intervention sought for release of Indian workers

A JD(U) MP today demanded central government's intervention for the release of 40 Indian workers, who have been put behind bars in Saudi Arabia allegedly for protesting against the death of a youth while working in a private construction company there.
JD(U) MP Ali Anwar Ansari made the appeal to the government after the family members of the jailed Indian workers today met him here and submitted a memorandum to him.
According to the memorandum submitted to the MP, 40 Indian workers had been put behind bars allegedly after they held a protest when a co-worker, Haroon Rashid (24), also from India, died of electrocution while working in a private construction company there on June 12.

Family members of Rashid, whose younger brother has also been jailed, had earlier filed a memorandum to several ministers and informed the Embassy of Riyad, but they did not get any reply from them, the memorandum claimed.
"We have sent communication to several ministers and also informed the embassy. Though I have reminded them two times, I have not received any reply from the authority till date," Rashid's father Mustaq Alam said.
Among the detained, 22 workers are from Bihar, 12 from Rajasthan, 4 from Uttar Pradesh and the rest two, each from Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.
The company did not inform the parents or the relatives regarding the arrest of these 40 workers, they claimed.