KATHMANDU, Nov 29:  Various individuals and social organizations have poured donations into the fund being set up under the Khadga Bahadur Jogi Rescue campaign.

According to Chhatra Rimal, a social worker and coordinator of this campaign, various social organizations and individuals have donated around Rs 2.5 million in humanitarian aid to rescue Jogi so far.

Contributing to the fund, Hem Thapa, a local of Menchhyayem rural municipality, has donated Rs 200,000, Dev Baskota, from Phedap rural municipality-2, has provided Rs 100,000 while Rs 250,000 was obtained through Prem Rai Rescue Campaign.

Likewise, Khadga Bahadur Jogi Rescue Committee, which was launched by various intellectuals, social workers and family members, organized a Deusi Bhailo program during Tihar festival in Jirikhimti and raised Rs 150,000. Similarly, Kirant Yakthung Chumlung, UK, offered Rs 58,000, Nepali migrant workers based in Israel have donated Rs 300,000 while Rs 75,441 was collected from Deepawali fair held in Chhatedhunga recently.

Talking to www.myrepublica.com, Coordinator Rimal said that a sheet of cloth was spread in the fair appealing to the people (using loudhailer) to offer financial help to save Jogi.

According to Chhatra Rimal, a social worker and coordinator of this campaign, various social organizations and individuals have donated around Rs 2.5 million in humanitarian aid to rescue Jogi so far.

Similarly, the rescue committee also collected Rs 95, 286 from Sankranti Bazaar, Rs 141,000 from Aunsidanda Deepawali fair, Rs 104,000 from Basantapur, Rs 94,000 from Shukrabare Bazaar, Chhathar while Jogi family has been collecting Rs 500,000.

The donation collection campaign from Nepali people based in various countries is underway, said Rima, adding, “The collection campaign will soon begin in Dharan and major market areas in the Terai region, too.”

Rimal further added that, the Jogi rescue campaign has expected Rs 500,000 from Tehrathum Sarokar Samaj Nepal and has planned to raise Rs 1 million from six local units of the district. According to Rimal, the local units have already pledged to do so.

Nepali migrant workers in South Korea have already raised Rs 500,000 and are preparing to handover the money to the Jogi rescue campaign.

Similarly, the committee has planned to raise around Rs 1.5 million from various countries including Dubai, Malaysia Qatar.

When asked about the misuse of fund, Rima made it clear that the team makes the collected money public immediately after collection to maintain transparency.

A team of around 20 people led by Rimal toured across the district to raise fund. Rimal added that they will announce through social media that they have stopped collecting fund once the fund reaches Rs 6.2 to preempt the misuse of fund.

Jogi, 45, who originally hails from Phedap Rural Municipality-2, Tehrathum, has been serving a jail-term in an Abu Dhabi prison on the alleged charge of killing a co-worker Pilipino for the last four years.

According to Chhatra Rimal, a social worker and neighbor of Jogi, who is actively participating in  a nation-wide donation collection campaign to raise fund to pay blood money of Rs 200,000 Dhiram ( which comes around Rs 6,200,000), said

Kumar Giri, treasure of the nine-member Khadga Bahadur Jogi Rescue Committee, has appealed to all the Nepali people including social organizations to lend support to the rescue campaign for Jogi.

The company Jogi was working for was closed down a long time ago, thereby ending possibility of lending support to Jogi. According to Giri, his life depends upon Philipino’s wife who has been demanding blood money.

On March 29, 2014, Jogi, the sole breadwinner for his six-member family, had left for Abu Dhabi to join Al Jurf Development Projects LLC as a migrant worker.

However, his dream of supporting his family did not last for a long time. His dream shattered when his coworker Phlipino met with an accident while heading for a work site on August 20, 2014.

According to the account provided by Jogi’s family members, Jogi took Philipino to a hospital after taking permission from the company. Unfortunately, Philipino died in the course of treatment. Jogi was, then, arrested in connection with Philipino’s death and was incarcerated in jail on August 22, 2014.

A case was lodged at the High Court against Jogi. Hearing the case, the High Court sentenced him to five years in jail along with a fine of Rs 200,000 Dhiram (Rs 6,200,000) in blood money. Jogi’s jail-term will be over on March 6, 2019.

 However, if the family failed to produce the blood money on time, Abu Dhabi government is likely to give him death penalty, Dambar Kumari Jogi, wife of Jogi, said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

At the initiation of intellectuals, kin and social workers, Khadga Bahadur Jogi Rescue Campaign has been launched. On August 31, a nine-member committee led by Dura Prasad Giri was formed in which Khagendra Bahadur Jogi and Kumar Giri are secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Likewise,  Mohan Dangi, chairman of the Tehrathum Sarokar Samaj, has said that his  organization is preparing a directive regarding the use of fund the Samaj has collected so far and will take decision to this effect once it is in place.

An application has also been filed at the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) seeking Rs 1,500,000 to hire a lawyer according to Rimal.  As per the existing rules, the government bears Rs 1.5 million for expenses to hire a lawyer for Nepali migrant workers facing such legal problems in a foreign land.

Meanwhile, a 13-member Khadga Bahadur Jogi Rescue Campaign committee has been formed under the coordination of PS Ningleku, chairman of Tehrathum Samaj, UAE.

Talking to www.myrepublica.com, Chairman Ningleku said, “The rescue committee has planned to raise fund for blood money in coordination with Foreign Employment Promotion Board, Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi and other social organizations. We are awiting a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

 
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