From riches to rags

A businessman ran out of luck when a new sponsor took over 

Manama

A chemical engineer and former businessman who was allegedly abused and locked in a room for two months is now living as a beggar in Manama.

According to Panchal Rasikkumar, who is now forced to beg for alms in the streets of the city, the Indian national was locked in an apartment earlier this year by the heir to his sponsor – after a hostile takeover on his business. He was abused in the captor’s custody and given little food, he recounted to DT News.
Rasikkumar, who first got to Bahrain as a painting supervisor, said that has been a Bahrain resident for the last eight years – most of which he was a successful businessman

Mentally and emotionally traumatized from the incident, Rasikkumar said, “When I first came to Bahrain, I got a job as a painting supervisor. After two years, I started to run my own painting business.”

“My sponsor was very cooperative and helpful, and the business was also successful – averaging a profit of at least BD2000 a month,” he explained about his lucrative undertaking.

Soon, things changed for the worst. “After a few years, the sponsor died and his son took over. His son was impressed by the business and decided to take it away from me forcefully and changed the Commercial Registration(CR),” said Rasikkumar.

“He locked me up in a flat and verbally abused me,” said the Indian national, who looked visibly tired.

“After two months he asked me to leave,” continued Rasikkumar, “I was physically and mentally exhausted... and had nowhere to go. So, I resorted to begging.”

“Now, I am begging everyday on the streets to sustain myself. I eat twice a day with alms received,” he added. Rasikkumar said he recently managed to get himself some shelter in the form of a rented room for BD20. “The expenses for food also comes up to BD 20, if i eat twice a day,” he said.
“I need to make this amount by begging on the street and that is not easy now...” he added, “People are reluctant to donate to a total stranger.”

“Physically, I am very weak,” said Rasikkumar. He explained his situation, and said that he has had to go through four major surgeries.

“My family does not know of my situation... I just want to escape from here and go back to my family in India,” he added.
However, the road he has to travel still stretches further.  “I have not contacted the police because I am worried the sponsor would come after me. I do not want any compensation... I just want to go home. I am physically and emotionally exhausted (from the incident),” he pleaded.

Social worker Abbas Khan was the first to contact DT News after learning about Rasikkumar's situation. “I spotted him in Manama sitting next to a temple in deep thought. When I asked him why he looked so depressed, he told me about his troubles…” said Khan. “He is a well educated man who ended up in the streets because of misfortune and mistreatment from his sponsor,” the social worker added.