Kadamakkudy resident Shiju, who was arrested from Abu Dhabi airport last month on charge of drug trafficking, was released from prison on Thursday evening. Shiju’s family said that he had been released following intervention from the Indian government and after an inquiry report said that he was innocent.
He was arrested at Abu Dhabi airport on June 18 after airport officials found a packet of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in his luggage. The Aluva police found that Shiju had been tricked into acting as a courier for the drug by a man named Amal, who told him it was a packet containing books for his friend, Sarang, in Abu Dhabi.
Shiju’s brother Joshy told The Hindu that Shiju had called them on Thursday evening. “He spoke to me, my mother, and everyone else here. He said they had released him and he was back in his room. They have not given him his passport yet. He will decide on his travel back home once he gets his passport,” Joshy said. He thanked the Centre and State governments, officials of the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi, and others who had helped the family get Shiju out of prison.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s office said that they had not received a confirmation about Shiju’s release. “On Thursday morning, the Chief Minister spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and handed over all documents connected with Shiju’s case, including Arabic translations of the necessary papers,” an official said.
Joshy and members of the ‘Save Shiju Action Council’ had met Mr. Chandy on Wednesday to give him statements by other accused in the case. Shiju, who was a fabrication worker in Abu Dhabi, had come home to attend his father’s funeral. The Aluva police had arrested Amal, Sarang, Muhammad Saad and Thoppil Ansar in connection with the case. The accused allegedly obtained the LSD from Goa from a German national simply known as Alex.
