Indian man shot dead in Saudi Arabia crossfire, family seeks justice

Jeddah: In a tragic shooting incident in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a 27-year-old man from Jharkhand, a state in eastern India, was reportedly killed after being caught in a crossfire between police and an extortion gang linked to the illegal liquor trade.

According to several media reports, the victim, Vijay Kumar Mahato from Dudhapania village in Dumri block of Giridih district, had been working with Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company on a transmission line project in the Jeddah region for nearly a year.

The shooting took place on Wednesday, October 15, when Mahato had reportedly gone to collect materials at his worksite on the instructions of a senior company official when police opened fire as part of an operation against a local gang.

He was taken to a hospital but did not survive. Before dying, he sent a voice message to his wife, Basanti Devi, saying he had been shot accidentally and was pleading for help, his relatives told Press Trust of India (PTI).

The family learnt about his death on October 24. He is survived by his wife, two young sons, and his parents.

According to PTI and Indian Express, Shikha Lakra, head of the State Migrant Control Cell under the Jharkhand Labour Department, said that the case had been referred to the Protector of Emigrants (Ranchi), the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Jeddah.

She said the CGI informed that the death is being treated as suspicious and that the body remains with the Public Prosecution Office in Jumum, Makkah, until clearance is issued.

Mahato’s brother-in-law, Ram Prasad Mahato, told The Indian Express that the family will not accept the body until the company provides written assurance of financial support. “The employer must take responsibility. We will not receive the body until we get written confirmation,” he said.

Officials said coordination is underway between the Indian Embassy, Saudi authorities, and the employer to expedite the investigation and repatriation process.

In a separate incident, a 24-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district allegedly died by suicide in Riyadh on Sunday, October 26, during a video call with his wife in India. He is identified as Aas Mohammad Ansari, who reportedly hanged himself following a heated argument with his 21-year-old wife, Sania.