After 18 Years In Jail, Rs 34-Cr Blood Money, Kerala Man Still Awaits Release From Riyadh Prison

Abdul Rahim was an auto-driver in Kerala before he left for Saudi Arabia in 2006. He was sentenced to death after being blamed for the death of a disabled boy he was taking care of.

At first, the Saudi court sentenced him to death but later, the court altered its ruling after the boy's family agreed to accept blood money.

Abdul Rahim, an auto-driver from Kozhikode has been in Riyadh jail for more than 18 years. The much awaited court order that was due to come today (November 17) on his discharge petition has been delayed by another two weeks. Rahim who went to Riyadh from India in 2006, found himself accused of murder after a differently-abled Saudi boy died inside the car he was driving. 

Abdul Rahim was an auto-driver in Kozhikode's Feroke before he left for Saudi Arabia in 2006. He got a job as a driver in Riyadh and had to take care of a differently-abled boy in the family.

Rahim was sentenced to death after being blamed for the death of the boy in his care. According to reports, he was driving the car when the device that helped the boy breathe accidentally fell inside the vehicle and he died after losing consciousness. It was reported that Rahim had unintentionally touched the device.

At first, the Saudi court sentenced him to death but later, the court altered its ruling after the boy's family agreed to accept blood money.

Riyadh Criminal Court has postponed its decision on the discharge petition of Abdul Rahim, by two more weeks, ONManorama reported. The new bench adjourned the verdict for two more weeks, leaving those hoping for good news deeply disappointed. Even after paying Rs 34 crores sourced from crowd across the globe, Rahim awaits release over procedural delays.

The Efforts To Collect Blood Money

After Rahim was sentenced to death, the Riyadh Legal Aid Committee, which has been assisting Rahim in his legal battle, proposed ‘diya’ payment as a solution for his release.

Subsequently, in 2021, a trust committee was formed in India to raise funds. On March 10, donations poured in from across the globe, and the campaign gained traction through a specially designed app launched on March 10, 2023.

After the blood money was paid to the family of the deceased, the court annulled Rahim's death sentence on July 2. However, procedural court delays have prolonged his release.

The family of the deceased had initially insisted on capital punishment, but later agreed to pardon Rahim in exchange for blood money after mediation efforts. The family demanded SAR 15 million or Rs 34 Crore as blood money.

On November 11, Rahim's mother Fathima met her son after 18 years in the Riyadh jail, the TOI reported.