Keralites crowdfund ₹34 crore to free death-sentenced man in Saudi
Keralites in India and overseas have successfully raised ₹34 crore in four days to secure the release of Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim, who was facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia. Rahim has been in prison for the past 18 years after a 15-year-old boy on life support who was in his care died while being driven in a car by him. In 2018, Rahim was sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court.
'Blood money' paves way for Rahim's possible release
Last year, the victim's family agreed to pardon Rahim in return for ₹34 crore in blood money. Mediators had set an April 16 deadline for Rahim to pay the sum and avoid execution. To tackle this issue, locals from Rahim's hometown in Kozhikode formed an action committee. The plea to save Rahim went viral on social media, and celebrities, lawmakers, and NRI groups joined the cause, which raised ₹5 crore by last week.
Social media and celebrity support bolster fundraising efforts
Among those who helped in the cause was Boby Chemmanur, a businessman and chairman of the Boby Group of Companies. He organized a yatra from Thiruvananthapuram in south Kerala to Kasaragod in the north, raising ₹1 crore. Adding this sum to all other donations from around the world, the action committee raised the ₹34 crore by Friday.
Kerala's Chief Minister praises successful crowdfunding initiative
Kerala's Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, commended the initiative on Facebook on Friday. He wrote, "Keralites across the world have united to mobilize ₹34 crore for the release of Abdul Rahim... To save a life, to wipe the tears of a family, Kerala has created a noble example of love." "It is a declaration that Kerala is a fortress of brotherhood, which communalism cannot destroy," he added.
Rahim's journey
Rahim had moved to Saudi Arabia in 2006 to work as a driver for a family. Eventually, the victim's family assigned him to care for their 15-year-old son, who relied on an apparatus to breathe. On December 24, 2006, as Rahim was driving a car with the boy in the backseat, the life support system came off, causing the boy to die. The incident occurred barely 28 days after Rahim arrived in the country.