The 20-year-jail term of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kodampuzha near Feroke in Kozhikode, who has been lodged in a prison in Saudi Arabia, will end on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) midnight.
Mr. Rahim was imprisoned and sentenced to death in 2006 for the murder of the 14-year-old differently abled son of his employer. Though he claimed it was an accident, Mr. Rahim’s employer’s arguments had more legal weight.
A turning point in the case took place when the Malayali diaspora managed to raise ₹35 crore, the blood money the victim’s family had demanded, in May 2024. The victim’s family later agreed to cancel the death sentence after receiving the money. The Saudi court in July 2024 revoked the death sentence.
However, the Riyadh Criminal Court in May 2025 sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the Public Rights Act. That term is ending now.
His family members have said that Mr. Rahim is expected to be released soon after the completion of further legal formalities.
Published – May 19, 2026 11:07 pm IST
