Telangana Worker Trapped in UAE After SIM Card Fraud

A 26-year-old man from Telangana has been stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for months after unknowingly becoming entangled in a SIM card fraud case.

Bolly Anil, a native of Chirlavancha village in Vemulawada mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district, travelled to the UAE in 2021 on a visit visa arranged by a Jagtial-based agency. What began as a routine job search has turned into a nightmare after two criminal cases were filed against him at the Ajman Police Station, hundreds of kilometres away from his workplace in Abu Dhabi.

According to Shaik Chand Pasha, convener of the TPCC NRI Cell, the trouble began when Anil purchased a SIM card in Abu Dhabi. It is suspected that his identity documents were misused — possibly by a shop owner or someone linked to the travel agency — to issue multiple SIM cards under his name. Those SIMs were later used in activities that led to two criminal cases (Nos. 751/2022 and 2468/2022).

Although Ajman Police questioned Anil in 2022, they reportedly allowed him to continue working after concluding he wasn’t the primary offender. However, due to a language barrier — Anil only speaks Telugu and does not understand Arabic, Hindi, or English — he was unaware that the cases remained open.

For nearly four years, Anil lived and worked in the UAE, believing the issue had been resolved. The situation worsened in July 2025, when he attempted to return home. At Abu Dhabi airport, immigration officials stopped him from boarding his flight after discovering the pending police cases and a travel ban. With his employment visa cancelled, Anil is now considered an overstayer and faces daily fines of AED 50.

Shaik Chand Pasha, who is coordinating efforts to help Anil, has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and urged both the Central and Telangana governments to intervene. He described Anil’s case as part of a larger pattern of migrant worker exploitation, where innocent individuals fall victim to fraudulent misuse of their documents.

Pasha said the immediate priority is to secure legal assistance from the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, clear Anil’s name with Ajman Police, and lift the travel ban so that he can safely return home. He stressed that Anil’s ordeal has caused significant emotional distress and highlighted the urgent need for stronger safeguards for Indian workers abroad, particularly those from vulnerable communities.