Jaipur:
The man who hid in a toilet in a plane headed from Saudi Arabia to India is free. A Jaipur court has ruled that Habib Hussain is not a threat to national security. He can now return to his village in Uttar Pradesh where his two children and pregnant wife are waiting for him.
Stowaway Habib Hussain's journey back home was a security breach for airport and intelligence officials; for many other Indians, it was a story of desperation from a man who had been cheated of the little he owned, and of his dream of a better future for his family.
Hussain, who is 25, was arrested when his flight landed in Jaipur.
Six months ago, Hussain, a poor farmer from Uttar Pradesh, met an agent who sold him the Middle East dream. Hussain sold the small piece of land he owned and invested his entire savings in his move.
He claims that when he reached Saudi Arabia, his passport was taken away. He worked for a company that provided services at the Medina airport. In addition to cleaning the airport, he was allegedly asked to look after his employers' cattle. Hussein says he wasn't paid, and was treated like bonded labour.
Last month, he helped a Haji, a woman pilgrim, with her luggage into an Air India plane. He then locked himself into the toilet. The cabin crew noticed him an hour into the flight. They handed him over to immigration officials when they landed in Jaipur.