After two Indian nationals took pictures with the Indian National flag inside the Haram in Mecca, they were detained by the Saudi Arabia police. While 12-year-old Uzair Ali was immediately released after the Consulate General of India in Jeddah intervened in the case, his father Imitiaz Ali Saiyed was released on November 17 - two days after he was arrested.
Imitiaz, a manager at an optical shop in Vadodara, had left for Mecca along with his wife and two children on Monday, and on Friday Imitiaz and one of his kids were detained.
The Consulate General in Jeddah in a tweet stated, 'Please note it is banned to display flags in Haram area. Our official has already met Mr. Imitiaz Ali and son Mr. Uzair Ali at Haram Police station. After our intervention, Uzair Ali has been released. We are following the case and all help being extended for early release of Mr. Imitiaz as well'.
The Consulate also urged people not to display any flags inside the Haram in Mecca.?
After their detention, Imitiaz’s brother Faiyaz Ali in a statement, said, “My cousin who lives in Saudi informed us about the detention. We were informed that today in the evening the police will make a final decision regarding the case. We are yet to hear from them. They had taken the flag along with them but did not know that posing with it and taking pictures was an offence.”
The earlier release of Imitiaz gained lots of praise from?Zuber Goplani, National Executive Council member of the All India Muslim Majlis-e- Mushawrat, tweeting,?"A big thank you to Javed Ahmed sahab and team of Counsel General Of India office. They personally looked into the entire episode and made sure that fellow citizen is out."?