IN A heart-warming gesture, Indian community members have rallied together to help repatriate an elderly couple allegedly abandoned in Bahrain by their son.
Udayan Udayaraj, aged 59, and his wife Ajitha, 56, yesterday boarded a flight to Kerala following an intervention by members of the Muharraq Malayalee Samajam and the Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC) Bahrain Chapter.
PLC Bahrain Chapter head Sudheer Thirunilath said that the two were having a difficult time with mounting unpaid utility bills and rent, though they were provided food by support groups.
“This is a really sad case, involving this elderly couple from Kottayam in Kerala,” he told the GDN.
“They arrived in Bahrain last year to join their son, who convinced them to sell their home in Kerala.”
Mr Thirunilath claimed the son spoke about opening a new business in Bahrain, and asked his parents to sell their assets in India and transfer the cash to Bahrain.
“The parents helped him set up a small coffee shop in Bahrain.”
The son allegedly conned his sister, who is studying in India, to sign some documents establishing the business in her name without her knowledge, and even give up her share of her parent’s house in Kerala.
“The information we have received is that the son left Bahrain last month and his parents were stuck with unpaid rent, disconnected power supply, with the mother’s passport missing.”
Mr Thirunilath said the mother arrived on a visit visa last year, while the father’s visa had expired; both the fines were cleared with the help of community workers.
“We have spoken with the couple’s daughter who will arrange a temporary accommodation for them because they have no place to go,” he added.
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