In Kerala, hundreds of people have come together to raise ₹35.45 crore through a crowd-funding campaign aimed at securing the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode who is currently on death row in Saudi Arabia for his involvement in an incident resulting in the death of a 15-year-old disabled boy. This initiative has been reported by news agency ANI. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has praised the efforts made to support Rahim’s release, highlighting how these actions reflect the spirit of humanity and philanthropy among Malayalees.
The incident leading to Rahim’s conviction took place when he was working as a house driver for a Saudi citizen and also caring for the disabled boy. Rahim’s account of the incident states that while driving with the boy, they stopped at a red light. When the boy urged Rahim to ignore the signal, Rahim accidentally dislodged a life-support tube attached to the boy, causing him to lose consciousness and subsequently die. This led to Rahim being charged and sentenced to death in 2018 under Saudi law for murder, with the victim’s family initially insisting on the death penalty. However, the family later agreed to pardon Rahim if he paid ‘blood money’ amounting to 15 million Saudi riyals. To support Rahim’s release, a legal action committee was formed, which launched a crowd-funding campaign through an app called ‘SAVEABDULRAHIM’, collecting over ₹30 crore online. The remaining amount was gathered offline, meeting the fundraising goal. Additionally, a social media campaign was initiated to raise awareness and garner support for Rahim’s cause.
The committee plans to engage with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to seek assistance in securing Rahim’s release before the April 15 deadline.
