He arrived in Kozhikode on an Air India flight from Riyadh and was warmly reunited with his family at their ancestral home in Machilakathu, bringing an emotional end to a 20-year-long legal and humanitarian ordeal.
According to an official statement issued by the Embassy of India in Riyadh on Thursday, Abdul Raheem was granted pardon and released from prison on May 20 this year after completing two decades of incarceration. The Embassy also noted that his flight to India had departed just moments before the statement was released.
Raheem had travelled to Riyadh on November 28, 2006, in search of better employment opportunities after previously working in Kerala as a school bus driver and autorickshaw driver. In Saudi Arabia, he was assigned duties assisting his sponsor Fayis Abdullah Abdulrahman Al Shahri’s 17-year-old son, Anas Al Shahri, who was paralysed and dependent on a breathing apparatus.
The case that changed his life unfolded on December 24, 2006, when, while driving, Raheem’s hand accidentally came into contact with a medical support device connected to the teenager. The boy later became unconscious and died. Raheem was arrested the same day, just 28 days after arriving in Saudi Arabia, and was subsequently sentenced to death by a Saudi court in 2011. The sentence was later upheld by higher judicial authorities.
In 2024, after prolonged legal proceedings, the victim’s family agreed to pardon Raheem upon receiving blood money, known as “diyah,” amounting to 15 million Saudi riyals, approximately ₹34.35 crore. Diyah in Islamic law refers to financial compensation paid to the victim’s heirs in cases of unintentional harm or death and is recognised in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Following this settlement, the Saudi court revoked the death sentence on July 2, 2024. However, authorities ordered Raheem to complete a 20-year prison term, calculated according to the Arabic calendar, which concluded on May 20.
The Embassy of India in Riyadh expressed gratitude to Saudi authorities for their cooperation and acknowledged the role of the Indian community, particularly Malayali organisations, for their sustained support and solidarity throughout the legal process.
The “Save Abdul Raheem” campaign evolved into one of the largest public fundraising efforts in Kerala’s recent history. When his family was unable to arrange the required amount, Malayali organisations in Saudi Arabia, along with support groups in Kerala, launched coordinated fundraising initiatives.
Contributions from across the world, including expatriate workers and ordinary citizens, exceeded ₹47.87 crore between late March and April 12, 2024, through a dedicated mobile application. More than 60 Malayali organisations in Saudi Arabia coordinated the legal and advocacy efforts over two decades, while local committees in Kerala managed the fundraising and public mobilisation campaign.
Raheem’s return on May 28 coincided with Eid celebrations, adding to the emotional significance of his homecoming. Fighting back tears, he expressed gratitude to those who supported him throughout his ordeal. “I thank all Keralites across the world who made my release a reality,” he said.
The ordeal also left deep personal scars on his family. His father, Muhammedkutty, passed away six months after his arrest. His mother, Fathima, was able to meet him in person only once, in November 2024, following the pardon, with video calls serving as their primary means of contact for most of his imprisonment.
His return to his ancestral home marked the end of a two-decade struggle that drew widespread attention in Kerala and beyond, highlighting the intersection of international legal systems, expatriate vulnerability, and sustained community mobilisation.
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