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Slapped with travel ban after new civil petition

Dubai: Hours before boarding their flight to freedom, 17 Indians who recently were spared the death penalty for killing a Pakistani man, were slapped with a travel ban and sent back to Sharjah Central Jail, Gulf News has learnt.

According to S.P. Singh Oberoi, a Dubai-based hotelier who raised the blood money to free the 17 men, the travel ban was issued by the Sharjah Court after two brothers who were allegedly injured in the incident filed a petition in court demanding compensation.

The travel ban was issued on Thursday afternoon, as the men were due to fly home on Saturday.

The 17 men were members of a gang involved in bootlegging and were convicted of causing the death of a man during a clash with a rival gang in January 2009 in Sharjah. All of the accused were sentenced to death initially.

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However, the Sharjah Appeals Court revoked the death sentence earlier this month. The verdict came after the family of the deceased accepted blood money of Dh3.4 million and pardoned the accused.

Ready to return

Following the verdict, the men were to be released from jail within 10 days after the verdict, and allowed to fly back home.

"They were brought from the Central Jail as the date of their release neared. Their travel documents and air tickets were handed to the authorities. Even fingerprinting and iris scanning procedures were completed. However, on Thursday, the court issued a travel ban," said Oberoi. Subsequently they were moved back to the Central Jail, he said.

Apart from Misri Khan who died in the fight, three people, all Pakistanis, were injured. Those injured were Khan’s brother Mohammad Nawaz, another man named Mustaq Ahmad and his brother Shahid Iqbal.

Nawaz and Iqbal were blacklisted and deported, while Ahmad is still in Dubai. "Ahmad and his brother Iqbal filed a petition demanding compensation."

"All 17 of them were supposed to be home by today [Sunday] and were very happy about it. Their families had planned to come and receive them at the airport," said Oberoi.

He said that although they are a bit disappointed about being held back after coming so close to freedom, since the new civil case is not related to the previous criminal case the men are hopeful of being released soon. Oberoi said that they will consider negotiating compensation only if the court accepts the compensation plea of the petitioners.

An Indian Consulate official confirmed the travel ban, however he said that no official comment will be issued immediately as they are yet to confirm the reasons behind the ban.