Stealing an orange proves costly for NRI in Saudi Arabia

Prabhakar, a native of Siddipet district, never imagined that picking oranges in a market and eating them would land him behind bars and prevent his journey back home

Jeddah: Boorla Prabhakar had never imagined that picking oranges in a market and eating them would land him behind bars and prevent his journey back home. Prabhakar, a native of Siddipet district and working as a cleaner in Khamis Mushait town of Saudi Arabia, allegedly stole oranges from a shopping cart and ate them.

The vendor, who noticed this from a distance, reported it to the police. Subsequently, Prabhakar was arrested and imprisoned for a month besides imposing a fine of 1,000 Riyals.

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He appealed in the High Court which ordered a retrial of the case while releasing Prabhakar after 14 days of imprisonment and also withheld the fine amount. However, Prabhakar failed to appear in the court on a given date following a confusion about the Hijri calendar and later appeared but failed to narrate his version. Since January 31, 2020, he was working as a cleaner without any hurdles.

However, he was terminated along with many other employees recently by the company following the closure of the division where he was employed.

While repatriating him back home, the company was not able to make his Qurooj
(cancellation of visa) as there was a travel ban due to the pending theft case.

He has been running from pillar to post to complete the remaining 16 days of the prison term and also pay a fine. “I went to the prison so that I could complete the prison term but that did not work,” he said. Boorla Prabhakar had never imagined that picking oranges in a market and eating them would land him behind bars and prevent his journey back home. Prabhakar, a native of Siddipet district and working as a cleaner in Khamis Mushait town of Saudi Arabia, allegedly stole oranges from a shopping cart and ate them.

The vendor, who noticed this from a distance, reported it to the police. Subsequently, Prabhakar was arrested and imprisoned for a month besides imposing a fine of 1,000 Riyals.

He appealed in the High Court which ordered a retrial of the case while releasing Prabhakar after 14 days of imprisonment and also withheld the fine amount. However, Prabhakar failed to appear in the court on a given date following a confusion about the Hijri calendar and later appeared but failed to narrate his version. Since January 31, 2020, he was working as a cleaner without any hurdles. However, he was terminated along with many other employees recently by the company following the closure of the division where he was employed.

While repatriating him back home, the company was not able to make his Qurooj (cancellation of visa) as there was a travel ban due to the pending theft case. He has been running from pillar to post to complete the remaining 16 days of the prison term and also pay a fine. “I went to the prison so that I could complete the prison term but that did not work,” he said.