Anish Khaling, who served two years, nine months and 18 days in jail in the UAE, had hardly dreamed that he would finally get justice and be greeted with warm hugs by his loved ones. While languishing behind bars in uncertainty and sheer despair in that Gulf country, he was not in any position to think of justice and his eventual release. But now he does not hesitant to say, "Justice exists but it requires patience."

Khaling, 26, originally from Matshya Pokhari of Sankhuwasabha District, was arrested on 25th October 2012 on the charge of murdering a Pakistani national. That was six months after he reached the UAE.

"The Pakistani happened to be injured when I tried to protect myself against his repeated attempts at sexual molestation," Khaling recalls. The injured Pakistani later died in hospital.

Within a few hours of the death, Khaling was arrested and not given adequate opportunity to show his innocence.

He said, "I could not prove my innocence because of the language barrier and they were not ready to consider my ordeal." Call details in the Pakistani's cell phone showed that his was the last call and that was used as evidence for charging with murder, he added while relating his ordeal, with his wife Rabita, his two-and-half year- old daughter Prasamsha and other relatives around him at Chabahil.

Rabita interruped smiling, "I was to learn about his arrest only after three months."

Khaling was given a sentence of death by a lower court in Abu Dhabi on 5th July 2013, leaving his family distraught and many migrant workers in the UAE and welfare organizations there in dismay.

With the support of the local Nepali community, he appealed to the Supreme Court. He had lost nearly all hope when the high court found in his favor, he said adding that he still needed the blood money to pay the family of the dead Pakistani.

A 'Save Anish Khaling Campaign' that was launched for his released had raised funds for his legal expenses and to support his family back in Nepal.

As per the UAE legal system, the Pakistani's family agreed to Rs 8.6 million in blood money. "But I was surprised to learn that more than Rs 30 million had been collected to save me," Khaling said smiling.

Also surprisingly, the government of the UAE had already submitted the blood money to the court even before they reached the court with the money, said secretary of the campaign Devendra Khaling.

"We are now in the process of getting the money back," Devendra Khaling said adding that the authorities in Kathmandu are indifferent to all this.

He also said that the money collected from across the globe would be deposited in a trust for the welfare of migrant workers serving terms in prisons abroad.

Jobless in Nepal and desperate to earn some money, Khaling had opted to go work abroad like so many other Nepali youths.

"I got justice. I am thankful. The second chapter of my life now begins," Khaling said while his daughter sat in his lap.

Published on: 10 July 2015 | Republica