Indian Expat in UAE Throws Over Dh100,000 in Trash; Forced to Live on Streets

Date:

Abdul Wahab.

Waquar Hasan | Clarion India Exclusive

NEW DELHI – A UAE-born Hyderabadi man lost everything including his job, money, passport, and visa after he mistakenly threw away a bag of money containing Dh105,439 along with his trash. He used to be a manager at the Sharjah outlet of a French restaurant chain in the United Arab Emirates but was forced to live on the streets.

In March 2015, Abdul Wahab had collected the restaurant sale to deposit in the bank. On the way, he had made a halt to offer prayers at a mosque and started clearing some trash which had assembled in the car.

“While clearing the trash from my car I didn’t realise that I had thrown away the bag of money along with other trash. Only when I reached the bank did I realize that the bag of cash was missing. I rushed back to the garbage bin and tried my best to find it, but unfortunately, things were not in my favour on that day” said Wahab, while narrating his painful story to Clarion India.

In the aftermath of this loss, he also faced a series of setbacks from his company, which subsequently turned his life upside down.

“I called my General Manager and informed him about what happened straight away, and he suggested that I should file a police case for lost cash” he further wrote. “When I went to file the case, the police told me that lost complaints can be lodged only during morning hours.

When I went to the police station on the following day, they asked me whose money it was, and when I informed them that the money belongs to the company, they said in that case I can’t lodge a complaint by myself and the PRO has to be with me,” said Wahab.

But the company refused to send the PRO (Public Relation Officer) with him to lodge the FIR because the money was insured as stolen, and not lost.

“My passport was with me at that time, so if I had any such intention, I could have easily booked a one-way ticket and moved out of here. Instead, I called the company and told them everything, whereafter, I did not expect such harsh actions in return,” he rued.

Later, the company also took away his passport by fabricating a story. He said that he was aware of the fact that a story was being made up, but he still surrendered his passport, hoping they will be soft in their behavior with him following that. Later, it also demanded a security cheque of the said amount and subsequently, a statement letter signed by him in order to get money from the insurance company.

Upon asking that if there was no FIR in the case, how could the insurance company give any money, he was told that the insurance company was ready to do it under the table.

When he met with all their demands, the company fired him from the job. He was rendered jobless and subsequently, homeless.

“That was the beginning of the catastrophic events in my life. I had pending bank loans, credit card, a car, a flat and due to monthly default payments, cases were filed against me. For more than a year I kept following up with them and trying to convince them for an agreement and also offered to pay in installments. But they kept refusing it.
“I tried every government department and charity groups here, but unfortunately couldn’t avail any help from them as my visa was expired and I was considered an illegal resident in the country”, he said.
He also approached India’s foreign ministry to get any help from there by sending a mail to Sushma Swaraj, who was the erstwhile foreign minister. But even there he had no success.
He was jobless for four long years and went to jail for 7 months on having failed to pay the liabilities. He had spent a couple of months on a street in the car, and consumed two packets of noodles a day.
“The last time that I had seen my family was in 2012. My mother had a road accident last year and I couldn’t visit her when she was hospitalized. In April 2019, my father had a heart attack and I still couldn’t go and see him,” Wahab said.
Following the tragic incident that Wahab had gone through, many people had come forward to help him by initiating a crowdfunding.
“I agree losing that money was a mistake, but it was not a mistake worth having my entire life ruined and causing my whole family to struggle and suffer in the process. I would like to request you, to please help me get out of this and re-unite with family,” he said in an earnest appeal.

theclarionindia
theclarionindiahttps://clarionindia.net
Clarion India - News, Views and Insights about Indian Muslims, Dalits, Minorities, Women and Other Marginalised and Dispossessed Communities.

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