Khurshid ran towards the arrival gate of Birsa Munda Airport when he saw his brother Md. Mufiz stepping out of the gates. With tears of happiness in his eyes, he hugged his brother whom he was seeing after two and a half years and wished him, "Eid-Al-Adha Mubaarak Bhaijaan."
Md. Mufiz of Ranchi, who was kept as a bonded labourer in a company in Saudi Arabia, finally returned home on Sunday on the auspicious occasion of Bakrid with the efforts of Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
“This is like receiving Eidi from the Government. I am very much thankful to CM Raghubar Das and all the other officials who put in efforts to get me back home,” Mufiz said with tears trickling down his cheeks.
Mufiz, who is a mechanic, went to Dubai in 2017 with the hopes of earning some money to support his family. “A friend told me that that there is a company in Saudi Arabia which will pay me 2600 Riyal but on going there they employed me at a garage and paid only 1000 Riyal. When I said I wanted to go home they said that I have a contract of one year and I have no option but to work with them,” he said.
When after a year, Mufiz approached the company which employed him and requested them to send him home again, he was told that he has to stay for another year. During this time, his employer Md. Jahiya Hussain treated him as a slave. Finally after two years when Mufiz could not take the torture, he decided to run away.
On April 12, 2019, Mufiz ran away from his employer’s place and the next day his employer lodged an FIR against him accusing him of stealing gold
“I was arrested by the police and then allowed to go, but the interrogations continued. Those four months were hellish! I contacted my family in Ranchi, who approached the CM and informed him about my troubles,” Mufiz said.
The case on Mufiz was proved to be false. "I would appeal to the people that they should work in their own country and not fall in the trap of working in other countries like I did," he said.
When Mufiz's sister Ishrat Parween appealed to the CM to get her brother back home, CM immediately directed his principal secretary to take action in this regard.
Following this, the Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand Bhavan MR Meena and private secretary to CM KP Baliyan started the process of contacting the foreign ministry and Indian Embassy at Saudi Arabia. The efforts paid off and Mufiz was brought back to India on an emergency passport certificate.
Expressing his happiness over Mufiz reaching home safely, CM Raghubar Das said, "His sister will now be happily celebrating both Eid and Raksha bandhan."
The CM also displayed gratitude towards the Foreign Ministry and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. He also congratulated the resident commissioner, his principal secretary, chief secretary DK Tiwari, home secretary Sukhdeo Singh and his principal secretary Sunil Barnwal for taking immediate action.
