Kin of Madinah bus accident victims claims ex gratia withheld, harassment

Sirajuddin that his cheques have been allegedly withheld by the Secunderabad RDO, Hyderabad DRO and the AEO of the Haj Committee.

Hyderabad: Shaik Sirajuddin, whose 18-member family perished in the tragic Madinah bus accident in Saudi Arabia, has alleged the ex-gratia of Rs 5,00,000 announced by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is being withheld

On November 17, 2025, a bus carrying 46 Umrah pilgrims from Telangana collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire, killing all except one. They were buried in Jannat al-Baqi.

The incident cast a pall of gloom in Hyderabad. Shaik Sirajuddin’s immediate family was almost wiped out, starting from his father, Shaik Naseeruddin and mother, Akhter Begum, one of their two sons and two daughters, Sirajuddin’s wife and children.

The Telangana government announced an ex gratia of Rs 5,00,000 per victim family

In a letter to the Telangana State Human Rights Commission, Sirajuddin said that while 29 families have received their payments, his cheques have been allegedly withheld by the Secunderabad Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), the Hyderabad District Revenue Officer (DRO) and the Assistant Executive Officer (AEO) of the Haj Committee.

The letter says that the Chairman of the Telangana Haj Committee has not acted even after being cognisant of the delay.

Following the ex gratia announcement, Sirajuddin’s deceased brother’s mother-in-law (whose daughter and her grandchildren died in the accident) disputed that she is the legal heir to his brother’s and his deceased nephews and nieces’ estate. “This has been proven false under Islamic law and I am the rightful legal heir. However, despite the legal clarity provided, the officials continue to offer excuses to delay disbursement,” read the letter.

Shaik Sirajuddin has urged the Human Rights Commission to issue immediate notices to the Chief Secretary of Telangana, the Hyderabad District Collector, and the Minority Affairs Department and sought directions for the immediate release of pending ex-gratia cheques to his family and that of his deceased brother.

He requested disciplinary action against the concerned RDO, DRO and AEO for alleged wilful dereliction of duty, and sought additional compensation for the prolonged mental harassment he claims to have endured.