Recent Crime Reports Ashoka Hotel Deal with Oman based group also caused multicrore loss to the state exchequer? NEW DELHI - February 21, 2004. The CPI (M), a leading left political party in India has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the dubious sale of the government-owned Centaur Hotel of Mumbai, which, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General report, caused a Rs 145.69 crores revenue loss to the state exchequer. Opening a Pandora's box of corruption and favouritism involving businessmen, politicians and middlemen, the new controversy is an eye opener to various privatization deals made by the Central Government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee.More Saudi Arabia Crime Ten Year Old Pakistani Boy's Headless Body Horrifies Residents of Saudi City Saudi Cities becoming Chicago of the Middle East? MADINAH, 10February 2004 - One more young expatriate boy has been raped and murdered in Saudi Arabia. The headless body of a ten-year-old Pakistani boy in the Erwa Valley in Madinah has horrified the city. According to the Arab News, Saudi Police have interrogated three suspects, two Saudis and a Chadian with a criminal record. "Investigations have revealed that the three suspects had relations with the boy though they have not confessed to the crime and deny any link with it. The boy's head has not been found and police are still searching for it. DNA samples have been taken from a missing boy's parents to determine if the body of the headless child is their son," said the Arab News Report. The newspaper quoted the father of the missing child saying that probably the body was not his son's. He explained his son had a burn scar on his leg which the body he saw did not have. Because the body was in water for three days, however, the scar may have disappeared. He also said that the body was so disfigured that he had been unable to identify it positively. (keralamonitor.com) More http://www.keralamonitor.com/feb1122004.html January 3, 2003 -keralamonitor.com 20 Per cent Ceiling on the Number of Expatrites in Saudi Arabia Riyadh - Saudi Arabia will put a 20 percent ceiling on the number of expatriate workers and their dependents in the Kingdom. This is part of efforts to solve the mounting unemployment problem that fuels Islamic militant groups and swelling support for terrorist groups. The plan will be executed within 10 years.The unprecedented strategic decision was taken by the Manpower Council, which is chaired by Interior Minister Prince Naif. The Saudi monarchy, like other rulers in the region, has been concerned about growing unemployment and social unrest that attracted the youth to Al Qaeda and other terrorist networks. Abdul Wahid Al-Humaid, secretary-general of the council, also disclosed plans to ensure that the number of workers from any single country, along with their dependents, should not exceed 10 percent of the total number of expatriates. "Interior Minister and Chairman of the Manpower Council Prince Naif issued a decision fixing a ceiling for the number of expatriate workers and their dependents in the Kingdom. They should not exceed 20 percent of the total population in Saudi Arabia," Humaid told the Saudi Press Agency. Measures will be taken to reduce the total number of expatriates to the 20 percent rate by the end of 1433H (2013), the secretary-general said, adding that the council will review the ceiling as well as the measures taken to implement it every two years. Humaid said that he expected the decision would reduce the number of expatriate workers in the country gradually over the next 10 years and that more job opportunities would be created for Saudis as a result.Humaid said that Prince Naif has also endorsed a strategy to develop Saudi manpower in the health sector. The strategy was prepared by the council's secretariat, the Health Ministry and other related agencies and its goal is to prepare Saudis to take up various jobs in the health sector. There are between six and seven million foreign workers and family members living in Saudi Arabia, where the indigenous population is estimated at around 17 million. (keralamonitor.com) Mabrook Mohammed Ali Dr.P. Mohammed Ali, Managing Director, Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company has been given the Pravasi Bharathiya Award by the Indian Government. Keeping its tradition of rewarding "Prominent Indians", Kanaksi Khimji another Indian based in Oman was given the same award last year. While KM congratulates Mr. Mohammed Ali for his latest achievement, we remain skeptical about the rationale of giving Pravasi Bharath Award to people who work against the common NRI's interest. Acknowledging that Mohammed Ali started his business empie from a humble beginning, some of his recent actions indicate that he forgets his past. The man who used to drive a pick up van through various construction projects in the Gulf has to remember the plight of such workers now. He should remember that these people cannot afford to have five star education paying huge sums as monthly fee.Everyone in Muscat remembers the controversial manner in which the award winning Indians played their dirty role in gertting the former Indian Ambassador K M Meena transferred from Muscat. It is an open secret that the business tycoons have played their due role in the proces. The reason -Meena wanted the schools to reduce fees and function transparently. More Indio-Saudi Arabian ties Saudi Arabia plans 10,000 new Schools to speed up 'Saudiazation' Riyadh: The bilateral economic relationship between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may improve and a number of Indian companies are keenly watching the upcoming projects and investment options in Saudi Arabia. Taking into account the marathon race to improve Saudiaisation of jobs, various Indian companies in the Information Technology education field have already moved to Saudi Arabia. Even if Saudiazation - a term referring to the replacement of expatriate workers with Saudi nationals- threatens to cause job loss to thousands or Indian expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia, Indian companies can capitalise on the training requirements of the Kingdom and grab more business. According to sources, the education sector in Saudi Arabia is all set to boom. It is realised that in order to prepare Saudi nationals to replace skilled and semi skilled expatriate workers, more schools and training programmes are required. As the existing education infrastructure is insufficient, Saudi Government is planning to construct at least 3,000 schools soon. According to Saudi Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia may need at least 10,000 new schools over a few year period. Recently an American consortium was granted permission from the Saudi Government to construct about 3000 new schools under Build Operate and Transfer system at a cost of $3.4 billion. An important area will be IT training and Indian companies are keen to exploit the potential in IT training business. As part of Saudiasation, Indian companies are now focusing on the setting up of small and medium enterprises in the service sectors like IT, tourism, media and small manufacturing industries. Already, some of Indian IT institutions like NIIT and APTEC are providing training in computer related skills locally. Indian Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha may also visit Riyadh for the joint economic commission (JEC) meeting, in which new joint ventures proposals in areas like petrochemicals, shipping, information technology and plastics manufacturing are expected. Arab News, a leading English Daily from Riyadh said in a recent report quoting diplomatic officials that a bilateral investment protection and promotion agreement (BIPPA), already initialed, will be signed during the minister's visit and a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) would be among the issues on the JEC meeting. Saudi Arabia is preparing to unveil plans for a multibillion dollar railway project to link Jeddah on the Red Sea and Dammam on the Gulf Coast through Riyadh. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council member countries are planning a major railway network to facilitate easy movement of goods and services, especially after the implementation of an Arab Common Market plan within a few years. Indian companies with rich experience in railway transport, are keenly watching the situation. Currently Saudi Arabia is the only Gulf country with a small railway network. An agreement had been finalized for cooperation in combating crime and drug trafficking, and matters related to illegal arms and terrorism. On the cultural front Riyadh will witness an exhibition on Indian women's traditional and modern dresses in November and a major costume exhibition next February. With 200,000 Indian pilgrims coming for the Haj and Umrah annually, the new Umrah regulations will enable pilgrims and businessmen to travel to tourist places like Taif, Abha and Madain Saleh. Study Report on the Keralite Workers' woes in the Gulf The heavy price being paid by Kerala workers to migrate to the Gulf countries, a good part of which is extracted by fraudulent means, has been highlighted in a study conducted by a three-member group constituted by the Centre for Development Studies. The emigration cost to the Gulf countries by job seekers from Kerala has been estimated at Rs.33,000 including the amount paid to the recruiting agents and other intermediaries for passports, VISA and air tickets. This amount was being raised by borrowing, selling or mortgaging their assets including landed property and jewellery. The study says whenever there was a drop in international oil prices, the return of workers from the Gulf countries to Kerala went up. Once the oil prices went up there was a reversal of the trend too, the study says. (NORKA) Saudi Arabia concerned about growing divorce rate Socilogist predicts number of unmarried Saudi women to go up from 1.5 million to 4 million in 5 years. Riyadh : July 8, 2002. The number of unmarried Saudi women will exceed four million by the year 2007, predicts Prof. Abdullah Al-Fuzan of the Riyadh-based King Saud University (KSU). According to the sociologist, there are 1.5 million unmarried Saudi women due to growing divorce rate among the Saudi couples, within three years of their pre-arranged marriage.According to his studies huge number of divorces take place in the Kingdom. More than 18,000 marriages out of a total 60,000 solemnized in different parts of the Kingdom during 2001 have already ended in divorce, media reports say. According to study conducted by Al-Saif, the Islamic courts have been approving 25 to 35 divorce cases every day in the country. Most of the divorces occur in the first three years of marriage and a majority of divorced women had married under the age of 20. According to S Mohammad Al-Saif, another Saudi sociologist polygamy is responsible for 55 percent of the divorces reported. A vast difference in age is also causing divorce. A total of 16,725 weddings out of 81,576 ended in divorce between March 2000 and March 2001 --20.5 percent of all marriages. Dr. Ebtisan Halawani of the Jeddah-based King Abdul Aziz University surveyed 158 Saudi divorcees. The main causes of breaking away for women from their husbands were ill-treatment, violence and hot temper", reported Arab News quoting the sociologist. The report said, some of them revealed to the researcher that their separation was the result of the non-committal attitudes of their husbands toward meeting family's financial needs. About 38 percent of the divorcees said that the involvement of their husbands in illicit relationships led to broken marriages. IIn one case a woman was locked up by her husband in a hotel room and he left the country, leading to their separation, Arab News report said. This sociological problem, attributed to the growing influence of individualism and lesser influence of religioun on family life. The UAE and some of the other Gulf countries too face the same problem of divorces. Philippino Accused of Killing Pakistani Driver facing Trial. Riyadh: July 1, 2002. The Saudi police have arrested a Philippino worker, who is allegedly involved in killing a Pakistani taxi driver and stabbing another Pakistani. According to senior Philippines Embassy officials in Riyadh, the Filipino is in Malaz Jail of Riyadh city awaiting trial. Reports say a minor dispute resulted in the murder of the cab driver and severe injuries to another driver, arose out of misgivings about the motive behind the crime. Reynaldo Cortez alias Fahd, has embraced Islam, according to Philippines Embassy official who said quoted the police statement recorded . Cortez has alleged that "the Pakistani driver grabbed his hands after gesturing in an indecent manner. This resulted in a heated argument and the Filipino was first stabbed in his right thigh", said the diplomat, adding that Cortez then somehow overpowered the cab driver and stabbed him to death. Embassy officials ruled out the theory that the alleged Filipino murderer was insane or suffering from depression. A senior police officer was quoted as saying that the Filipino worker fled in the taxi of the deceased Pakistani driver, but in panic hit a limousine driven by another Pakistani. The second driver was also stabbed after he refused to budge and hand over his taxi to the suspect.. The second Pakistani survived the attack. According to media reports, the number of crimes involving Philippino expatriates in Saudi Arabia has been increasing. A Filipino murderer Joetilo Cabanero paid blood money to the victim's family. Rowena Fuente-bela and her daughter are in a Riyadh jail for possessing a fake iqama and marriage certificate. An American couple were stabbed to death by a group of Filipinos in Riyadh. In 1997, a Filipino fashion designer was killed by his compatriots in Alkhobar and earlier in 1994, three Filipinos stormed the house of a Saudi millionaire, Saleh Al-Rajhi, and held his family hostage and killed Al-Rajhi's two-year-old boy before police stormed the house shooting two hostage-takers dead. An Arab News report said that 39 Filipino workers, 22 of them female, are in Al-Nissa and Al-Hair jails. Child Abuse on the Rise in Saudi Arabia February 8,2002.Keralamonitor.com More than 40 cases of child abuse have been reported from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and 70 from various hospitals in Riyadh, revealed the First International Workshop on the "Diagnosis and management of child abuse in Saudi Arabia. According to Dr. Hoda Al-Kattan, chairperson of the organizing committee and head of the pediatrics department at KFSH, said one of the main problems was the lack of a legal mechanism. In a number of cases the mother would either inflict injuries on the child or fake symptoms of child abuse to stay in hospital, so that she could be away from her home to avoid family roblems."They cause bleeding in the child or fabricate other symptoms to prolong their stay at the hospital," he said. In one ase the child ingested some detergent powder which later proved fatal. It was not a deliberate act to kill the child but one committed in the mistaken belief that it would help prolong her stay at the hospital, the Arab News reported. Full Report Indian Commit Suicide as Sposnor Refused him Permission to Marry JEDDAH, 10 February 2003 — An Indian who was keen to return home to marry his fiancee committed suicide because his Arab sponsor refused to give him permission and demanded huge amount of money to get an exit/re-entry visa. According to his friends, 29 year-old Muneer died because the sponsor refused to let him go home to get married. The sponsor demanded an exorbitant amount of money. Muneer came to Saudi Arabia to make money, become rich and then marry his fiancee back hom. More CBSE Allows Indian School Students in Kuwait to attend CBSE Exams in India, UAE Kuwait : February 9, 2003 The Controller of Examinations, Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi, has announced that Kuwait would be retained as an examination centre for those students who wish to take the examination in Kuwait itself for both Class X and Class XII Board Examinations More Nadar face Sexual Harassment Case THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, January 14: The Crime Branch probe into a sexual harassment complaint by a senior ndian Forest service (IFS) officer Prakrithi Sreevastava against the former forest minister andJanata Dal Secular leader Neelalohitadasan Nadar has found the accused guilty, according to reports. Full Report Foton's $ 8.2 Mn Edutainment Centre in Bahrain February 10th, 2002 Manama --As part of a major regional expansion drive, Foton Edutainment, the Middle East?s leading name in edutainment and entertainment, will open a US$ 8.2 million state-of-the-art edutainment centre in Manama this week its first in Bahrain. Full Report

Home UNDER CONSTRUCTION For More Crime Reports click Arrow War/World ReportsKM Special Reports Special Reports Special Reports Special Reports Special Reports KM Special Reports on Workers KM Special School Reports KM IT Reports KM Special School Reports KM Special School Reports KM Special Woman Reports KM Special Health Reports KM Special Bank Reports Kovalam Hotel Deal Workers Related Stories Health Stories Church Stories More Archives   Health Monitor 1,285 AIDS cases in Saudi Arabia, Arab World HIV infection cross 26,000 Saudi Arabia needs 90,000 nurses! RIYADH, 11 August - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recorded 1,285 AIDS cases since it began monitoring the dreaded disease in 1984, Dr. Yaaqub ibn Yousuf Al-Mazroue, assistant deputy health minister for preventive medicine, disclosed in Riyadh on August 10. The low official figure indicates that the spread of AIDS in the Kingdom remains much lower and more effectively controlled than in other countries he claimed in a statement. Full Report Federal Bank, SBI Officials join hands with NRI to Cheat Depositor NRI who cheated a Delhi Businessman of Rs.67 crore arrested and sent to jail New Delhi, 18th Nov: CBI has arrested an NRI, Antony Joe Kingslay Fernandez on charges of cheating a rich old man of Delhi and his son, a British citizen of nearly Rs. 67 Crore. Fernandez was produced before the CMM, Delhi and was sent to Judicial Custody for 14 days. Fernandez originally hails from Nagarcoil in Tamil Nadu. CBI registered a case against Fernandez following a complaint made to the Investigating Agency by a Delhi- based businessman, Anand Kumar. The businessman's two sons are settled in Britain since more than 20 years and they together own 12 departmental stores in England and Ireland. In early 90s, his younger son Mukesh Kumar decided to invest money in India because of higher interest rates. To manage his huge investments in India, he nominated his father Anand Kumar as his attorney. In the year 2000, Anand Kumar was approached by one Arun Jain, a Delhi-based agent who promised him better incentives in lieu of bank deposits. Anand Kumar agreed and transferred nearly Rs. 12.5 Crores from his son's bank account in Delhi to the Nagarcoil Branch of Federal Bank through Fernandez. This money was deposited in the form of FDs for a period of three years. However, instead of giving the original FDs to Anand Kumar, Fernandez handed over fake FDs to him and kept the originals with himself. Soon after, he opened a joint NRE account in his own name and that of Mukesh Kumar in the Nungambakkam Branch of SBI in Chennai based on a fake letter from Mukesh Kumar. The Bank officers opened this account even without the Account Opening Form and specimen signatures. On the very next day, Fernandez got the amount of Rs. 12.6 Crore which was in the name of Mukesh Kumar in the Federal Bank, Nagarcoil transferred into this joint account and on the same day, he withdrew part of this money in cash and the rest was siphoned off through cheques and demand drafts. Using the same modus operandi, Fernandez in connivance with the bank officials induced Anand Kumar to transfer another about Rs. 25 Crore from the accounts of his son, Mukesh Kumar in Delhi to the joint account in the Nungambakkam Branch of SBI and the bank officials issued the FDs in the joint names of Mukesh Kumar and Fernandez, despite clear instructions from Anand Kumar for issuing FDs in the name of his son Mukesh Kumar only. On each occasion, Fernandez encashed the FD prematurely and siphoned off the funds. In fact, he grew so confident that he obtained huge loans on several occasions from SBI against these FDs. The fraud came to light in October 2002 when Mukesh Kumar received a letter from the bank giving details of some of the FDs held by him jointly with Fernandez. Unable to comprehend what has happened, the father and the son took up the matter with the bank authorities, but the response from the bank was less than encouraging. Finally in September this year, Fernandez asked Anand Kumar to come to Trivandrum to settle the matter and handed over a demand draft issued by Canadian Imperial bank, Toronto for an amount of 19.70 million US$ in lieu of the 18 FDs from Anand Kumar. But when this demand draft was presented in HSBC Bank, New Delhi, Anand Kumar learnt to his horror that the Canadian Bank had never issued this demand draft and it was fake. This is when Anand Kumar realised how badly he had been duped and finally approached CBI in October 2003. The CBI investigation revealed many interesting facts. It was found that Fernandez had prematurely encashed the original FDs issued from State Bank of India, Chennai and handed over fake FDs to Anand Kumar who believed them to be genuine. Little did he realize that his son's hard-earned money had already been siphoned off by his own agents. A background check on Fernandez has revealed that he owned a placement company by the name of Engineers King in Nagarcoil and was engaged in sending people to Middle East till late Eighties. In early Nineties, he emigrated to USA and that is when his meteoric rise in life started. In the next ten years, he amassed huge assets in India and abroad, including a 50 acre farm in Canada, Plantations in Vallumalai near Kanyakumari and several companies. For FERA violations in 1994 he spent some time in jail. (keralamonitor.com) Korean company to sell Railway Engine, Coaches to Saudi Railway Project Saudi Mining Company to execute railway project. A Korean company will supply new engines and coaches for the proposed multibillion railway link.The much talked about railway project linking Riyadh with northwestern Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC countries will be constructed jointly by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maadin) and Saudi Oger, according to Minister of Communications Dr. Nasir Al-Salloum. The Saudi government would bear 50 percent of the project's cost. According to the Saudi Minister, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is planning to establish a company to finance the railway project, which will facilitate cargo transport from the minerals-rich northwestern regions to the industrial cities in the Central and Eastern provinces. The Supreme Economic Council (SEC) of the Kingdom decided to start a $2 billion railway expansion project to the private sector. A special team is formed to study the proposed railway project linking Jeddah, Yanbu and Madinah. SRO will sign an agreement with a Korean company for the purchase of new railway engines and coaches. SRO was preparing to buy 24 new railway coaches at a cost of SR100 million. The Saudi Railway will also extend the railway to the Second Industrial City in Riyadh . The proposed railw link will connect Jeddah and Dammam, two leading ports. It is estimated that some 23 million passengers will also use the railway a year.The railway linking the Arabian Gulf and the Riyadh Region with Red Sea will cover a total length of 1,500 kilometers. Govt considers welfare fund for Indian maids in Saudi Arabia New Delhi, December 4: Government is considering creating a welfare fund in Saudi Arabia for Indian women serving as maidservants, Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh said on Wednesday. While the Saudi government itself had created a housemaid welfare centre, India was considering setting up this fund to help Indian housemaids in case they experienced any kind of problems, Singh said during question hour. According to rough estimates, he said there were about 10,000 Indian women working as housemaids in that country. Only in cases of housemaids, there were a set of prescribed rules that had to be followed both by the employers and the employees. To a question whether a large number of Indians who had gone to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs had been reported missing, he said in 2002-03 till November, there were 73 such cases. In 2000-01, the number of such cases reported was 101 and in 2001-02, it was 105, he said. There were about 14 lakh Indians working in Saudi Arabia and the percentage of those reported missing was miniscule, he said when members asked the government to take more care so that gullible job-hunters did not fall prey to fake or dubious job agencies. keralamonitor.com