Blood money paid, Muktsar man yet to return from S Arabia

Archit Watts

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Muktsar, July 18

More than a year has passed after the family of 36-year-old Balwinder Singh — a landless resident of Mallan village here — paid the blood money of Rs 2 crore to the Saudi Arabia government. Balwinder is yet to return home.

Was unintentional

My cousin had not killed the man intentionally. There was a dispute between a Punjabi youth and a Saudi man in 2013. He was just acting as a mediator. — Hardeep Singh, Balwinder’s cousin

He had gone to work in Saudi Arabia in 2008, but had killed a Saudi man during a brawl in 2013.

His family had collected money as charity from philanthropists to set him free and paid the amount of Rs 2 crore through the Central Government in May last. The money was accepted by a court there in June and Balwinder was released from a jail in Riyadh. His family claims that he has been shifted to a facility similar to a police station now.

Hardeep Singh, a cousin of Balwinder, said: “We have paid the blood money, but Balwinder is still kept there in a kotwali. He spoke to us over the phone a month ago and said that Indian Embassy was not helping him to come out.”

“We have sent many emails to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, but have not received a satisfactory reply yet. Earlier, we used to speak to an official there in the Embassy over the phone, but he has been transferred now. We appeal to the Central Government to help us.”

Hardeep added: “During the brawl, when the Saudi resident tried to kill Balwinder with a knife, he hit him back with a stick in self-defence. The man lost his life in the process. Balwinder was first awarded jail for seven years. Later, a court told him to pay blood money of Rs 2 crore to the deceased’s family or face beheading.”

Family members of Balwinder met the DC here recently and sought help in the matter.