Hyderabadi hotelier arrested for violating gathering rule in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah:Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75th year of Independence of India at home and abroad. The Indian diplomatic missions have been organising a series of programmes to celebrate the event. Some individuals also joined the celebrations to show their patriotism, but they forget the basic norms of gathering and celebrations in Gulf countries where strict rules are in place.

An event to celebrate Indian Independence Day in the Saudi capital pushed a prominent Hyderabadi behind bars. A leading restaurateur, who operates multi restaurants with ethnic Hyderabadi Biryani in Riyadh city of Saudi Arabia, who was detained on August 15 for celebrating Indian Independence Day was released nearly after 10 days, according to sources.

The Hyderabadi, a longtime resident and native of Santoshnagar in Hyderabad, had arranged an Independence Day party in one of his restaurants in Hai Al Wazarah district, also commonly known as Hara, where the Hyderabadi expatriate community concentrated. As soon as the celebration started in the evening hours, sleuths raided the place and nabbed Hyderabadi for organizing the gathering, sources said.

It is noteworthy to mention that any kind of assembly or gathering is not allowed in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf countries even diplomatic missions without prior permission.

In the past also, an Indian woman, who hails from Pune, along with her husband and children, was arrested for displaying the Indian national flag in holy Haram in Mecca and had to spend five days in jail before being released. The NRI family, living in Riyadh, visited Mecca to perform Umrah.

After completing the rituals in the early hours when the crowd of worshippers was relatively low, the family decided to take a photograph with the Holy Kaba in the background and displaying the Indian national flag.