Kozhikode: Bringing an end to a painful two-decade-long wait, Abdul Rahim, a native of Kodampuzha in Ramanattukara, returned home on the auspicious day of Eid al-Adha after being released from a Saudi Arabian prison.
He arrived at the Calicut International Airport (Karipur) early in the morning on an Air India flight from Riyadh. Stepping out of the terminal with tears of joy, Rahim expressed his profound gratitude to the global Malayali community and well-wishers who stood by him and made his release possible.
An Emotional Reunion in Kodampuzha
From the airport, Rahim was taken straight to his ancestral home, ‘Zeenath Manzil’, in Kodampuzha. The atmosphere turned deeply emotional as Rahim broke down while embracing his elderly mother, Fathima, whom he was seeing after 20 long years.
Thousands of people, including relatives, neighbors, and locals, gathered outside his residence to catch a glimpse of Rahim and celebrate his homecoming.
“I have no words to describe my happiness. I am alive today because of the prayers and selflessness of thousands of good-hearted people. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart,” Abdul Rahim said in his first reaction.
The Case and the Historic Crowdfunding Campaign
Abdul Rahim went to Riyadh in November 2006 as a driver when he was 26 years old. Within a month, he was arrested following the tragic and accidental death of his sponsor’s 15-year-old disabled son, Anas Al Shahri. Rahim’s hand had accidentally hit a medical device attached to the boy’s body, causing him to lose consciousness and pass away.
- 2012: A Saudi court sentenced Abdul Rahim to death.
- 2024 (March–April): The Saudi family agreed to pardon him in exchange for a whopping ₹34.35 crore (15 million Saudi Riyals) as blood money (Diyyah).
- The Global Malayali Unity: In one of the largest humanitarian crowdfunding campaigns in Kerala’s history, the ‘Save Abdul Rahim’ collective raised over ₹47.87 crore in just a few days via a dedicated mobile app and global donations.
Completing the 20-Year Term
Although the death penalty was officially quashed on July 2, 2024, after the blood money was deposited, Rahim could not walk free immediately. He had to serve out the remainder of his 20-year prison sentence related to public rights violations.
Having successfully completed his term this month, he was officially released and cleared to fly back to India.
A decision regarding the utilization of the surplus funds collected during the crowdfunding campaign will be taken in the coming days now that Rahim has safely returned.
