RIYADH — In a dramatic twist to a decades-long legal battle, a death row convict from Kerala, India, has secured a lease on life. The Saudi Arabian family of a deceased youth has officially agreed to accept a massive blood money settlement of 15 million Saudi Riyals ($4 million USD). This breakthrough halts the imminent execution of Abdul Raheem Machilakath.
The legal breakthrough came through an official letter from the Saudi family’s attorney delivered to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. It signals the conclusion of continuous, high-stakes diplomatic interventions and relentless grassroots activism. Social workers and embassy officials worked around the clock to secure this pardon, facing resistance from the victims’ relatives until the final hour.
A Tragic Accident in Riyadh
Abdul Raheem arrived in Riyadh from Kodambuzha, Feroke, in Kozhikode district, on November 26, 2006. He took a job as a house driver, specifically tasked with caring for a handicapped boy. His life took a catastrophic turn just weeks later on December 24, 2006, during a routine car ride.
According to Raheem’s testimony, the young boy began shouting from the backseat after Raheem missed a red traffic signal for the third time. The situation quickly escalated when the boy spat directly in Raheem’s face. Reacting instinctively, Raheem reached back to block the assault. Tragically, his hands jammed against the boy’s external feeding apparatus, causing fatal injuries.
The Long Walk to Freedom
Saudi authorities arrested Raheem immediately following the incident. He has remained incarcerated in a Riyadh prison for eighteen grueling years. The legal battle culminated when the Saudi Supreme Court issued its final verdict upholding the death penalty.
With execution looming, a massive global fundraising campaign united the global Indian diaspora to accumulate the staggering 15 million Riyal sum. The formal acceptance of this blood money by the Saudi family effectively cancels the execution order under Saudi law. Legal experts expect court officials to process Raheem’s final release papers within the coming weeks, closing a tragic eighteen-year saga of migration, misfortune, and ultimate survival.
