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Kundapur man jailed in Kuwait to be released

Shankar Poojari (40), from Basroor in Kundapur, who was languishing in a jail in Kuwait for the last seven months, is scheduled to get released.

UDUPI : Shankar Poojari (40), from Basroor in Kundapur, who was languishing in a jail in Kuwait for the last seven months, is scheduled to get released. A court in Kuwait passed the order on Tuesday and the paperwork is underway. This information was provided to Jyothi, wife of Shankar, by one Pushparaj, a business entrepreneur in Kuwait, and has come as a big relief to the family.Shankar was arrested by the Kuwait police and was shifted to Sulaibia Public Jail. Jyothi tried to secure his release, but to no avail.

On June 14, she received a call from the jail authorities in Kuwait informing her that her husband was arrested. Reason for the arrest was not communicated to his family members by Kuwait Police immediately. On June 28, an official from the Indian Embassy informed Jyothi over the phone that legal procedures have to be followed for his release. But she is unaware about the offense.

On July 13, Shankar called his wife from Kuwait and informed her that a packet of medicines, which was given to him by one Mubarak, was the reason behind his arrest. He was supposed to deliver the packet to Thasleem Fathima (Mubarak’s mother-in-law) residing in Kuwait. Jyothi approached the Udupi-based NGO Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF) for help in this regard.

HRPF, which followed the case, learnt that MADAD, the official website of Ministry of External Affairs, stated, “Shankar Poojari was lodged in public jail of Kuwait (as on 18-07-2018) on the charges of possession of Narcotic Substances”. On August 29, Mubarak told Dr Shanbhag that he had purchased 210 Ultracet tablets from a medical shop at Udupi. He also said that he had given the packet of medicines, along with the prescription and bill, to Shankar.

Shankar, unaware of the fact that there is a strict ban on the medicine ‘Ultracet’ in Kuwait, took it to Thasleem Fathima, which is what landed him in jail.Jyothi, speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, said that she is relieved now. “Now, I can assure my daughter Sahana and son Srujan that their father will be returning home,’’ she said. Soon after paper work is completed, he will be released from jail, she said.

DC Priyanka Mary Francis said that the district administration has received information about the court order. HRPF Udupi president Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag will contact Shankar for any further assistance, she said.