Amnesiac Indian awaits nod from Saudi authorities to return

An Indian, who lost his memory in an accident about 10 months ago in Saudi Arabia, is stuck in the country because of a tussle among authorities here over his repatriation, a media report said today.
Absaruddin Abdul Bari Shaikh, a cleaner, was run over by a speeding car on July 14 when he lost his memory and has been bedridden since.
The municipality and the traffic police department of Sarat Ubaida in Asir Province have been exchanging accusations over the delay in Shaikh's repatriation.
The municipality's chairman Yahya Khulufa said it was the province's traffic department, which delayed the repatriation process, Saudi Gazette reported citing Al-Watan newspaper.

The traffic department's director Brig Ayed Dakheel Allah and spokesman Col Mohammed Asiri have not yet provided any official response.
Khulufa accused the department of traffic of withholding the name of the driver who was responsible for the accident.

He said a representative of the municipality visited the traffic department several times and each time he was told the case file was with one of its staff who was on vacation.
"When the staff member came back to work from his holiday, it was discovered that he did not have the file," he added.
Khulufa said the municipality was ready to repatriate the Indian worker after all the legal procedures were completed, including the payment of his financial rights.

The traffic police said they have sent the case file to court, where it has been lying ever since.