Hyderabad: A 36-year-old man from Telangana has been stranded in Saudi Arabia for several months after his employer stopped providing work and withheld his passport.
Ankam Sudheer Kumar, a resident of Shastrinagar in Nirmal district, travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2023 to work as a foreman at Aramco through an agency based in Jagtial. He was employed there for 15 months, but since February this year, the company has reportedly stopped assigning duties to several workers, including Sudheer. Their work visas were not renewed, leaving them confined to their accommodation with no income or means to return home.
Faced with mounting living costs, Sudheer tried to come back to India. However, he has been unable to do so, as his passport remains in the possession of his employer.
This came to light when Sudheer’s wife, Ankam Vani, and mother, Sujatha, submitted a petition at the Nirmal District Collector’s office on Tuesday, May 13, urging authorities to intervene and bring him back.
They later met Swadesh Parikipandla, a member of the NRI Advisory Committee on Gulf Migrant Workers Welfare, who assured them of support. He confirmed that other migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are also facing similar challenges under the same employer.
The family hopes the government will take swift action to ensure Sudheer’s safe return.
