Father who can’t pay diya fears family will starve
Shoeb Iraqi’s life fell apart after one fateful day at work in Jebel Ali, he tells Shireena al Nowais
I have been borrowing money and living with friends. I will die here and so will my family back home SHOEB IRAQI Engineer
Shoeb Iraqi barely has enough money to eat once a day, let alone support the family in India he hasn’t seen for a year. Yet he is facing a Dh200,000 blood money bill over a fatal accident he says he played no part in.
The civil engineer, 39, was ending his shift at a project in Jebel Ali in August when an incident occurred that sadly ended one life, and changed his.
“I was on the ground floor and a plumbing foreman was electrocuted while he was on the terrace,” Mr Iraqi, who has two daughters, told The National.
He was not in a position of responsibility over the engineer, because they worked in different departments.
“The police arrived and they began questioning us,” he said.
Mr Iraqi called the owner of the company and informed him of the incident. The owner told him to go with the police and to answer their questions.
He later discovered that his employer had given his passport to the police.
When the case came to court, Mr Iraqi was acquitted.
But the prosecution appealed, and it was decided he had to pay diya (blood money) of Dh200,000 to avoid prison and have his passport returned.
“I don’t have the money. I can’t pay it and I can’t move to another job because my passport is withheld,” he said.
Mr Iraqi has received another job offer, but cannot be hired without a passport.
He has not seen his family for more than a year, and has not been paid since last year.
After the case, the company lost many of its projects and terminated his contract.
Mr Iraqi is the sole breadwinner and supports his mother, his wife and two children. He has not sent his family support money in more than a year.
“I have been borrowing money and living with friends. I barely have enough money to eat and am lucky if I eat once a day,” he said.
Hisham Al Zahrani, manager of zakat and social services at Dar Al Ber, said Mr Iraqi contacted the Indian consulate.
After numerous letters from the consulate to the company, he was advised to hire a lawyer.
“I have no money for a lawyer. I will die here and so will my family back home,” Mr Iraqi said.
The company has refused to pay the Dh200,000 blood money for him, claiming bankruptcy and that the insurer refused to pay, even though they had first promised that they would.
“Without the blood money, Mr Iraqi has no way of going home to India and will lose the other job offer,” Mr Al Zahrani said.
“He will not be able to find employment anywhere or leave the country. We hope that readers can help him.”
He said the consulate has asked that legal action be taken against the owner of the company.