Kozhikode: The Saudi Criminal Court revoked the death penalty of MP Abdul Rahim (44), who had been lodged in Saudi Arabia's jail since 2006, in the wake of the Riyadh government's transfer of an amount of Rs 34 crore (15 million Saudi Riyals) to the kin of Anas Al Sahri's family as blood money.
The blood money of Rs 34 crore was collected by Keralites through crowd funding consisting of Pravasis from all walks of life to save the lives of the youth in April.
Abdul Rahim was also attending the trial online while handing over funds to the Saudi family. The court will soon issue an order to release him from jail and send him to Kerala, The court examined all the documents in this regard to release him.
Rahims' mother, Fathima (75), residing at Koodapuzha near Feroke in Kozhikode district, told the media that she was grateful to all the people for their role to save the life of her son. I will be waiting for my son to return home.
Abdu Rahim, a former autorickshaw driver of Feroke, ventured to Riyadh in 2006 and was employed as a driver, along with the duty of caring for the physically disabled 15-year-old boy of his sponsor, Fayiz Abdullah Rahiman Alsahari.
In 2006, Rahim and the boy were travelling in a car. Rahim's hand unknowingly hit the child's neck, and this led to dislodging the tube of the device attached for feeding food. The boy fell unconscious and died inside the car.
The death sentence came in 2018, and was confirmed by the Supreme Court four years later. Following this, the People Action Committee (PAC) lodged a request before the court to temporarily halt the execution and came to an agreement that the deceased family would accept the blood money of Rs 34 crore, which would be paid within six months. The deal was signed on October 16, 2023.
