Sharjah: Indian expat Masood Mohammad beamed excitedly as he stepped out of Sharjah Court clutching a court verdict against his ex-employers.
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The court had ordered the logistics firm to pay him Dh106,000 towards 10 years of gratuity and seven months of outstanding salary.
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Finally, justice has prevailed, Masood thought.
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He had not sent any money home since the abrupt closure of his company in late 2017. As a result, all three of his daughters had dropped out of school. Masood himself had, meanwhile, racked up thousands of dirhams in credit card debts.
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He hoped the court verdict would help him repay the bank and get his life back on track. But the hopes turned out to be short-lived.
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One year later, no change in fate
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Nearly one year after the October 2018 judgement, the 36-year old from Hyderabad is yet to get even a single dirham as the company owner fled to India without paying Masood’s end-of-service benefits and salary dues.
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“I have got a favourable verdict but I am unable to enforce it as the company has shut down and its owner has disappeared,” rues Masood who is now being hounded by debt collectors.
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In April this year, he was arrested and spent 15 days in a Sharjah jail for defaulting on a credit card payment.
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“I am not a wilful defaulter. I am just caught in a vicious debt cycle through no fault of my own. What I owe my landlord and banks is less than what my ex-employer owes me. I want to clear my liabilities but I can do that only if I am paid my end-of-service benefits as per the court ruling,” says Masood, now living off friends.
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“I have no money and no job and my debts are ballooning with each passing day. I haven’t seen my family in three years. But I can’t go back as I have a travel ban. My family is struggling. I desperately need help,” he says, fighting back tears.
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