साउदी अरबमा नेपालीलाई मृत्युदण्ड, दूतावासले माफीको पहल थाल्यो

यादवले दूतावासका कर्मचारीलाई बुधबार दिएको जानकारीअनुसार उनी सन् २००६ को अन्त्यतिर ३०७१७७०३ नम्बरको राहदानीबाट साउदी पुगेका थिए। फुयालका अनुसार यादवलाई रवीन्द्र यादव भन्ने व्यक्तिले त्यहाँ पठाएका थिए। आफू जेल परेपछि रवीन्द्रलाई पटकपटक फोन गर्दा वास्ता नगरेको यादवले दूतावासका कर्मचारीलाई जानकारी दिएका थिए। 
'साउदी आएको दुई महिनामै सामान्य झगडा हुँदा मेरो हातबाट एक पाकिस्तानी नागरिकको मृत्यु भयो,' यादवलाई उद्धृत गर्दै फुयालले भने, 'नियतवश हत्या गरेको होइन।' लुटपाटको आरोप झुठो भएको यादवले बताएको फुयालले जानकारी दिए। 
यादवले अन्तिमपटक धनुषास्थित परिवारसँग सात महिनाअघि टेलिफोन गरी कुराकानी गरेका थिए। त्यतिबेला उनले आफूलाई बचाउन साउदीस्थित राजदूतसँग कुरा गर्न परिवारका सदस्यलाई भनेका थिए। यादवको परिवारले दूतावास त परको कुरा, काठमाडौंमा रहेको परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयलाई समेत जानकारी दिएको भेटिँदैन। 'सात महिनायता परिवारका सदस्यले पनि यादवलाई फोन गरेका रहेनछन्,' फुयालले सुनाए। 
करिब एक घन्टाको भेटमा दूतावासका कर्मचारीलाई यादवले धनुषास्थित घरमा श्रीमती (सञ्जुदेवी), दुई छोरा (कमलेश र निदेश), बाबु (भोला) र आमा (सुमन) रहेको जानकारी दिएका थिए। 
यादवलाई मृत्युदण्डको सजाय सुनाएको जानकारी पाउनेबित्तिकै उनको सजाय माफी गराउन आवश्यक प्रक्रिया अगाडि बढाइसकेको साउदीका लागि नेपाली राजदूत उदयराज पाण्डेले जानकारी दिए। पीडित परिवारका सदस्यलाई क्षतिपूर्ति रकम (ब्लड मनी) उपलब्ध गराएर यादवको मृत्युदण्ड माफी दिन त्यहाँस्थित पाकिस्तानी दूतावाससँग छलफल बढाइएको उनले बताए।
'वसिरको परिवारलाई क्षतिपूर्ति रकम स्विकार्न राजी गराउन हामीले पाकिस्तानी दूतावाससँग छलफल थालेका छौं,' पाण्डेले भने, 'क्षतिपूर्ति स्विकारिए सजाय माफी हुन सक्छ।' 
दूतावासका कर्मचारीले शनिबार साउदी विदेश मन्त्रालयलाई मृत्युदण्ड सजाय रोक्न अनुरोधपत्र पठाउने तयारी गरेका छन्। बिहीबार र शुक्रबार साउदीमा सार्वजनिक बिदा हुन्छ। 
'पहिलो कार्य उनको मृत्युदण्ड तत्कालका लागि रोक्नु हो,' फुयालले भने, 'त्यसपछि माफी दिलाउने प्रक्रिया अगाडि बढाउन सकिन्छ।' मृत्युदण्ड रोक्न शनिबारै साउदी विदेश मन्त्रालयलाई पत्र पठाइने जानकारी दिँदै उनले त्यसपछि क्षतिपूर्ति रकम जोहो गर्ने प्रक्रिया थाल्ने बताए। 
दूतावासका अनुसार साउदीको ताबुकमा १० वर्षअघि पनि एक नेपाली कामदारलाई हत्या अभियोगमा घाँटी रेटी मृत्युदण्ड दिइएको थियो।

Source: http://www.nagariknews.com/society/nation/33483-2011-11-24-02-37-27.html



Death stalks Nepali worker stealthily

OM ASTHA RAI

KATHMANDU, Nov 24: A Nepali worker from a remote village of Dhanusha district, who was recently sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court for murdering a Pakistani national five years ago, still unmindful of his tragic fate. 

Nobody has informed Umesh Yadav, 31, who hails from Machijhitakaiya village of Dhanusha, that he is going to be beheaded soon as per a death sentence handed down by the Saudi Arabian court a week ago. A Nepali worker convicted in a similar case was hacked to death in Saudi Arabia some 10 years ago.

“He was pretty nervous,” said second secretary at the Nepali Embassy in Saudi Arabia Sagar Phunyal, who met Umesh in a Jubail-based jail, some 500 kilometers east of Riyadh, on Wednesday. 

“But, he is yet to know that he has already been sentenced to death. And, Saudi Arabian officials can execute the verdict any time soon.”
According to Phunyal, some jail inmates have told Umesh that he can be hacked to death as per Saudi Arabian laws. However, it is difficult for Umesh to believe what he heard. “I also did not tell him anything,” Phunyal said, adding, “Had I told him about it, he could have lost all hope. I just told him to be patient.”

Umesh, who has a wife and two sons back in his village, had reached Jubail, a Saudi Arabian city, in 2006 to work as a migrant worker. 

However, within less than two months after reaching Jubail, Umesh unfortunately engaged himself in a scuffle that ended up in the death of his fellow worker, Mohammad Wasir, a Pakistani national. 

“He has confessed his crime. He says he did not kill Wasir intentionally,” Phunyal said. “But, another case of burgling was also filed against him. He does not accept this charge. He says Saudi Arabian police made him admit to this charge as well by severely beating him in the custody.”

He has been languishing in Jubail jail for over five years now. He had once come into contact with his family in Nepal to inform about his condition six months ago. However, his family has yet not approached the embassy. “We are trying to contact them as well,” Phunyal said over phone. 

Efforts to save Umesh

Although Umesh has admitted to his crime, and the Saudi Arabian court has already delivered its verdict, the Nepali Embassy has initiated diplomatic efforts to save him. The embassy is all set to write an official letter to the foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia, asking the latter to halt the execution of death sentence for the time being. The date of execution has not been confirmed.

“We are also in touch with the Riyadh-based Pakistani embassy to save Umesh by providing a certain amount of blood money to the family of the deceased,” said Uday Raj Pandey, Nepal´s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “The Pakistani embassy is positive. If the family of the victim does not turn down our request, we will look forward to collecting blood money.”

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=38734