Indian woman faces fine of Rs 13 lakh in Bahrain

Dubai, Oct 5 (UNI) An Indian woman, stranded in Bahrain after the father of her four illegitimate children died, is now facing immigration fines of up to 11,000 Bahrain dinars (Rs 13 lakh).

Sarala Sreedharan, 40, must pay off the debt before she can return to her home in India with her daughter and three sons.

However, she cannot work because she is an illegal resident and is now hoping authorities would waive the fees and allow her to go home.

The Gulf Daily News reported that Kelappan Kumaran, 58, who fathered her children but did not legally wed her, died after a heart attack. They had been together for 11 years, but Mr Kumaran is married to another woman in India with whom he has three children.

He worked as a driver for the same company for 32 years, which meant his wife stood to receive thousands of dinars from his indemnity but Sarala would get nothing.

The Indian Embassy has given her and her children outpasses to leave the country and is negotiating with authorities to waive the fine.

As she came on a visit visa and never got a work visa, she would be charged 25 Bahrain dinars for every month of the 11 or so years that she has been here. The children would also be charged the same amount from the time they were born as they have no birth certificate.

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