Disabled Indian worker in Bahrain returns home after nine years

Dubai: A 49-year-old disabled Indian worker in Bahrain, who overstayed on his visit visa, has finally returned home to reunite with his family after nearly nine years.

Chepyala Satyanarayana from Andhra Pradesh had arrived in Bahrain on a visit-visa in March, 2005 and was doing odd jobs but after suffering a stroke in 2011, he was completely paralysed.

Even after receiving treatment at a medical college, he was left bound to the wheel-chair, forcing him to beg on the streets to make ends meet, local media reported.

Satyanarayana, who has two children, had not seen his family for nearly nine years.

His case was brought to light in an open-house meet at the Indian Embassy in Bahrain in the last week of December 2013, First Secretary Ram Singh told PTI.

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The Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF), an embassy-aided organisation, brought his case to the open-house meet with the Ambassador, Singh said.

Embassy's follow-up coordinator Clifford Correia campaigned with Bahraini immigration authorities for reducing the 8,000 Bahraini dinars fine imposed on Satyanarayana for violating visa regulations.

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"He overstayed on visit visa for eight years that led to fines of about 8,000 Bahraini dinars," Correia said.

He said the Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs agreed to drastically slash the fine on humanitarian grounds.

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The ICRF managed to pay the reduced fine of 1,000 dinars and with the help of the Indian Embassy, sent Satyanarayana home on Saturday, Singh said.