Kuwait: A court in Kuwait, on Thursday, released Melwyn Fernandes, a resident of Karkala, who was detained by the Kuwait police at the airport on February 9 this year. He was in jail, awaiting the judgement, for nearly eight months.
He was carrying the prohibited drug Tramadol, a pain killer. It is learnt that, he could have faced the maximum penalty of 14 years imiprisionment.
Melwyn Fernades, working as a field service supervisor in Kuwait, is married to Carol and the couple has two young daughters.
His wife, Carol Fernandes claimed that he was unaware that the contents in the parcel included a banned medicine, which was handed over to him by a neighbor for her husband in Kuwait.
Carol gave the name of the neighbor as Justine Castelino. When Melwin was about to return to Kuwait after his holiday, Justine gave a parcel requesting it to be handed over to her husband Richard Castelino residing in Kuwait, who is also a friend of Melwin.
However, Carol was shocked to hear her husband saying he was detained by Kuwait police as the parcel contained banned drug.
Soon afterwards, Carol filed a complaint in Karkala town police station against Justine for allegedly cheating her husband.