Indian expats in Saudi warned against touts and illegal agents

July 18, 2013

Riyadh, Jul 18: The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has urged all Indian citizens not to get misled and exploited by illegal agents and touts.

“It has come to the notice of the Embassy that touts and illegal agents are trying to mislead and exploit Indian nationals by offering them to get them exit from Tarheels. The authorities of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have made it clear that there is no fee for obtaining EXIT and the services at the Tarheels are free during the grace period,” stated the a release issued from the embassy on Thursday.

Anyone demanding or paying any money to obtain exit is violating the rules and regulations of the Kingdom and are likely to face penal action. It has come to the notice of the embassy that some touts and illegal agents are misleading the applicants by issuing them with numbers claiming these numbers to be EXIT numbers. Many people who obtained such EXIT numbers through touts and illegal agents have since been returned from Airports. These touts and illegal agents as also those who obtained EXIT numbers through them are likely to face penal action under forgery which includes jail sentence and ban on return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it said.

“All applicants who have obtained travel documents from the Embassy are urged to approach Tarheels directly for exit and not to be misled and cheated by touts and illegal agents. Anyone having information about such touts and illegal agents may share it with the Embassy for initiating appropriate action,” it clarified.

The Embassy also urged all Indian citizens to follow the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia. “The Embassy is confident that all those who are eligible for exit will eventually get it from the Tarheels during the extended grace period. The Embassy officials deployed at Riyadh Tarheel can be contacted at the helpline numbers 0546843866, 0546843894, 0546843836, 0546843746 & 0546843903 for further assistance. The Embassy will also continue to pursue the matter with the concerned authorities in Saudi Arabia,” the release said.

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‘Have letter, next step is...’: MUDA on Siddaramaiah’s wife’s offer to return plots

News Network

October 1,2024

Mysuru: The Mysuru land authority at the centre of a financial and political storm - involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and alleged losses of ₹ 45 crore to the state - has received an offer of restitution from his wife, the urban development body's Commissioner, AN Raghunandan said.

"I am in possession of a letter written by Siddaramaiah's wife regarding her intention to return 14 plots (of land). The Chief Minister's son, Yatindra Siddaramaiah, came to our office and delivered the letter. We will take legal advice for the next step..." he told reporters in Mysuru.

Mr Raghunandan also confirmed anti-corruption officials from the city's Lokayukta branch had written seeking cooperation in its inquiry into the charges against the Chief Minister.

He said the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, or MUDA, "will cooperate with the investigation".

The Enforcement Directorate, however, have not reached out as yet, Mr Raghunandan said. The ED, a federal agency, has filed a money laundering case against Siddaramaiah.

There have also been calls for the CBI, another federal agency, to investigate charges against the Chief Minister, but that appears unlikely now given the Karnataka government has withdrawn general consent for its operations in the state. Law Minister HK Patil made the announcement last week.

He ruled out any link with demands for the Chief Minister to be investigated by the CBI, which reports to the BJP-led central government and the ruling Congress and other opposition parties have claimed is being used by that party to target rival leaders, particularly before elections.

On Monday - three days after the Lokayukta filed a case against the Chief Minister, and hours after the ED launched its probe- Siddaramaiah's wife said she had planned to give up the land earlier but was advised against it the allegations against her husband are "politically motivated".

But now, she said, she had made up her mind as "no house, plot, or wealth is more important than my husband's honor, dignity, and peace of mind". She also said the decision was hers alone; "... I am not aware of my husband's opinion on this matter, nor do I concern myself with what my son thinks".

And, in a comment seen as a calculated swipe at the opposition BJP, which is leading calls for the Chief Minister's resignation, his wife also made an emotional appeal to "all political parties and the media" to "please not drag women of political families into the controversy to settle political scores".

Investigative action against the Chief Minister follows the Karnataka High Court quashing a challenge to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's order sanctioning Siddaramaiah's prosecution.

Subsequently a trial court ordered framing of charges and directed the Lokayukta to complete the investigation within three months. The ED case was filed based on the Lokayukta FIR.

Siddaramaiah faces an inquiry into claims Parvathi was allotted 14 plots of land in an upmarket Mysuru area as compensation for land elsewhere - holding a far lower value - taken for infrastructure projects.

The Chief Minister has denied all charges and refused calls to resign.

He has been backed by the Congress and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, who is also the state unit boss, and also by members of his cabinet, including IT Minister Priyank Kharge. However, some within the Congress also want him to quit, such as former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad.

"I will fight. I am not afraid of anything. We are ready to face the investigation. I will fight this legally," he said last week after the High Court had quashed his challenge to the Governor's sanction.

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