Abdul Raheem, the Malayali expatriate who spent nearly 20 years in a Saudi prison after being sentenced to death for an accidental death, has finally returned to his homeland in Kerala. He landed at Karipur Airport early Thursday morning on an Air India Express flight from Riyadh, where he was greeted by emotional family members and well-wishers.

Raheem was arrested in December 2006 after the 15-year-old son of his Saudi sponsor died when Raheem accidentally bumped into a medical device attached to the boy. Despite the unintentional nature of the incident, a Saudi court sentenced him to death in 2012. Following years of appeals and efforts by the Malayali community, the victim’s family accepted blood money of 34.35 crore rupees in July 2024, commuting the death sentence. However, the court ordered him to complete a 20-year prison term, which he served until his release.

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Upon his return, Raheem was taken to his family home, Seena Manzil, in Kodambuzha, Ramanattukara, Kozhikode, where he embraced his mother after years of separation. His brother Naseer expressed gratitude to all who supported their campaign. Raheem’s arrival, just before Eid al-Adha, brought joy to the community that had rallied to raise the blood money.