A member of the Kuwaiti Fishermen’s Union, Abdullah Al-Sarhid, has filed a complaint with the Fahaheel Police Station accusing 3 Indian men of stealing his private fishing boat and escaping with it to their homeland, reports Al-Anba daily. Al-Sarhid said, during a press conference, he would seek the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recover the boat and prosecute those accused of theft Al-Sarhid denied rumors that the suspects were not paid their salaries for two years, or that he had maltreated them and withheld their passports, stressing that this talk is completely untrue and a mere fabrication and lie.

He added that the Indian embassy of the suspect men summoned him some time ago and showed him that there was a travel ban imposed on the three suspects (as the court had found the three to be involved in consuming liquor cases) and that he informed the embassy that, he was ready to pay the travel tickets if the embassy could issue the necessary documents. He stressed that Kuwait is a state of institutions and laws, and some parties protect the rights of the worker, and if they had rights, they would have resorted to them or the embassy of their country, but they escaped with the boat, which is worth more than 35,000 dinars. He pointed out that the police in their (expatriates) home country have arrested the three fugitives, and the authorities contacted him via video calls, listened to his testimony, and charged the fugitives with — stealing a boat, leaving a country, and entering another country illegally.

The Indian workers who attempted the getaway on a boat valued at 35,000 dinars almost succeeded until Indian authorities intercepted them upon their arrival. Subsequent investigations delved into their illegal return and implicated the boat’s owner, Abdullah Al-Sarhid. However, media reports, notably from India, highlighted the fugitives’ allegations of mistreatment and unpaid wages, omitting Al-Sarhid’s perspective, adds Al-Nahar daily. Al-Sarhid, a Kuwaiti Fishermen’s Union member, initially notified the Indian embassy of the situation but broke his silence in light of media scrutiny. He refuted claims of unpaid wages and mistreatment, asserting that the escapees resorted to theft due to their motives, not any wrongdoing on his part. The Indian embassy, having previously been briefed on the travel bans, assured Al-Sarhid of their cooperation in deporting the fugitives.

However, he expressed disappointment in the biased portrayal by Indian media, emphasizing the deceitfulness of the accused. Taking legal action, Al-Sarhid filed a theft case against the absconders and sought assistance from local authorities and the Indian embassy to recover his boat. He remains committed to pursuing justice and retrieving his property, hoping for appropriate consequences for the perpetrators.