Abdul Lateef Naushad, 34, who was languishing in a Dammam jail for partially blinding a Saudi national, has been released following a royal pardon. Naushad, according to Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook, was taken directly from the jail to the Dammam airport to board a Gulf Air flight bound for the southern Indian city of Trivandrum last night.Naushad, who hails from Kerala, was jailed for damaging the eye of the Saudi national during a scuffle at a petrol pump where the former was employed. The incident took place in April 2003. The Saudi man reportedly lost sight in one eye several weeks later. Naushad was sentenced by a court to have one of his eyes gouged out. The victim, Naif Al-Otaibi, a computer professional, pardoned Naushad making the granting of clemency possible following appeals by the Indian government. The workerÂ’s wife and mother petitioned Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during the kingÂ’s visit to India earlier this year.