Dubai-based S P Singh Oberoi (in blue turban) with rescued youths (standing behind)

JALANDHAR: Fourteen Punjabis and one person from Bihar, who were awarded capital punishment in two separate cases of bootlegging and murder, were saved from the gallows by Dubai-based hotelier and philanthropist. While 14 have already been reunited with their families, one is expected to return in a few days as his documents are still being prepared.

Presenting them before the media here, Dubai-based S P Singh Oberoi said Punjabi youths who go to UAE should learn to not fall into the trap of bootleggers. He said bootlegging was leading to clashes between groups and if somebody dies in a clash, it would lead to capital punishment due to tough laws of the land.

He said that five men — Harvinder Singh of Ajnala in Amritsar district, Ranjit Singh of Jinsra in Nawanshahr, Dalwinder Singh of Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur, Sucha Singh of Jasso Majara in Patiala and Dharmendra Kumar of Chhapra district of Bihar — were facing capital punishment in Sharjah for murder of Virendra Chauhan, who hailed from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh in November 2011.

In another case, 10 Punjabis faced the gallows for murder of Pakistani national Mohammad Farhaan in Al Ain of Abu Dhabi. They were sentenced to death in October 2016. These men included Satminder Singh of Thikriwala village of Barnala, Chander Shekhar from Nawansahhr, Chamkaur Singh from Malerkotla in Sangrur, Balwinder Singh from Cholang in Ludhiana, Dharmveer Singh of Samrala in Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh of Mohali, Tarsem Singh of Mudh village in Amritsar, Jagjit Singh of Gurdaspur and Kuldeep Singh of Tarn Taran.

Oberoi said he had approached the families of the deceased and negotiations were held to persuade them to accept the blood money as provided by the law there. He said a hefty amount was paid through Sarbat Da Bhala Trust as blood money and the courts in UAE accepted the compromise after which the men were released.

‘Check company credentials’

Oberoi, who has till now saved 93 Indians, most of them from Punjab, from gallows in UAE after paying blood money of around Rs 20 crore, said his trust had offices in all districts and before going to UAE people could check with them to know the credentials of companies and the genuineness of employment offer. “Most of the youths reach there after taking loans and many are not able to earn much. In desperation to pay back the money, they get into bootlegging and get caught in the vicious cycle of illegal activity,” he said. “They must stay away from any illegal activities there and go on proper employment visa. They should also have clarity about their salary,” he added.

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