Soon after reaching Dubai, he contacted 'Mathrubhumi' to express his gratitude.

Sreenivasan's ordeal had earlier come to light through a report published in 'Mathrubhumi' after he was sent back from the airport due to an incorrect police verification report. His visa was due to expire on Sunday.

A resident of Arayi in Kanhangad, Sreenivasan had his Gulf journey disrupted three times. Had the trip been delayed by another day, his visa would have expired.

Sreenivasan had previously worked in the Gulf for four to five years to support his family. He returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic and later worked locally as a painter and daily wage labourer to make ends meet.

Facing mounting debts, he sought to return to the Gulf for employment. His new visa was for a job in the concrete construction sector in Dubai. However, during passport verification, details from another person named Srinivasan in the same area were mistakenly included in his police report.

The first attempt to travel failed after the error surfaced during verification by the police. Sreenivasan was sent back from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, and his passport was temporarily seized.

After officials at Hosdurg Police Station realised the identity mix-up, the verification report was corrected and forwarded again. Sreenivasan then visited the passport office, where he was told the issue had been resolved, and he booked another ticket.

However, when he arrived at Kannur airport for the second attempt, he was once again stopped because the updated verification report had not been properly uploaded into the passport office's computer system.

Following the second failed attempt, Mathrubhumi published the story on its front page on February 24 under the headline "Same name, different lives: How a police verification glitch stranded a Kerala man bound for Dubai". The report drew widespread attention and prompted the Kerala State Human Rights Commission to register a suo motu case and seek a report from the police.

After resolving the issues once again at the passport office, Sreenivasan purchased a third ticket. But just as he prepared to travel, tensions and conflict in West Asia disrupted flight services.

When flights resumed, his booking was rescheduled for Sunday, allowing him to finally travel to Dubai.

Sreenivasan had borrowed money each time to purchase flight tickets. The first two cancellations resulted in losses of nearly ₹50,000. Fortunately, the third ticket was rescheduled rather than cancelled, sparing him further financial loss.